[meteorite-list] OT: water

From: Matson, Robert <ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:22:42 2004
Message-ID: <AF564D2B9D91D411B9FE00508BF1C86901B4EAE6_at_US-Torrance.mail.saic.com>

Hi All,

As Rob Wesel pointed out, many areas of the U.S. receive more rainwater
than most of the local residents would care for, e.g. the Oregon
and Washington coast, Missouri and other Mississippi River states in
flood years, and lately much of the eastern seaboard (just ask anyone
in the D.C. or NYC areas). If people choose to live in a desert, like
the L.A. basin, Las Vegas or Phoenix, they have a responsibility to
use water resources intelligently, taking advantage of conservation
technologies and being realistic about landscaping choices. (The
number of lawns I see every time I fly into Vegas is astounding,
and it is not surprising that per-capita water usage in Las Vegas
is 5 (!) times that of southern California.)

The U.S. doesn't have so much a fresh water shortage problem as a
water distribution and conservation problem. Perhaps eventually
economics will tip the scales in favor of water storage and pipeline
construction to send water from water-rich states to drought-stricken
ones. Alternatively, better technological solutions to desalination
will be found to make conversion of seawater to fresh water more
economical. (This is already done in Middle East countries where
energy is cheap).

Cheers,
Rob
Received on Sun 22 Jun 2003 11:17:38 PM PDT