Slashdot Mirror
Collision Between Water and Energy Is Underway, and Worsening
An anonymous reader writes "This article is an eye opening perspective on another side effect of power generation — water usage: 'More than 40 percent of fresh water used in the United States is withdrawn to cool power plants. Renewable energy generally uses far less water, but there are glaring exceptions, such as geothermal and concentrating solar.' The article also mentions that power plants have to shut down if the incoming water is too warm to cool the plant. 'Also, even though some newer plants might use far less water, they could find that there’s far less water available as water temperatures go up and water flows go down. Another study found that nearly half of 423 U.S. plants were at risk of lower power output during droughts because their intake pipes for water were less than 3 meters below the surface.'"
I know, right? I'm so sick of this "Sky is Falling" liberal nonsense. Humans will eventually learn to drink sea-water, just the way Darwin intended. Deal with it.
The fact that powerplants borrow water to cool themselves is no big deal. They give it all back.
No, no, the article says "withdrawn" which means its not in the water bank anymore.
So at 40% per year, in two and a half years there will be no water left in the bank. We are Doomed.
To protect your future, you should run down and withdraw all your water from the bank today.
Horde it in your bed. (That's why water beds were invented).
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
the NSA surveillance center requires 1.7M gallons of water daily to operate.
How else do expect them to get all that water-boarding done . . . ?
Tip the veal, try the waitress . . .
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
If I learned anything from the stellar season finale of Sea Quest: DSV, it's that your plan will result in devastating, apocalyptic seismic events that will prove, conclusively, that there is no free energy on this planet. Which in retrospect actually makes Captain Planet's byline, "The power is yours", seem a little ironic.