Story # 54, Part IV, O.T.
What did I expect to happen?
First, almost nothing.
The idea of draining the Ocean is a more direct solution to the problem of rising sea level, which is going to devastate millions of people around the world.
Trying to reduce CO2 emissions by curtailing the engines of industrialized nations may be impossible. Keep trying that, but the problem is the water.
Dooms-day predictors warn that there will not be enough food for the world’s rising population. That prediction is just silly. Economics will ensure that there will always be food-------when the price goes ups, there will be more food produced.
However, the limiting factor ----- water ----- will have to be dealt with. We can continue to redistribute the fresh water or gain new water supplies from de-salting the ocean.
When the cost of water for irrigation of farm crops becomes just another line item in the cost of production along with seed, fertilizer, fungicides and harvesting costs, then pumping from the Ocean will be feasible.
The only hope to prevent the tide from rising over valuable shore line is if localized pumping is effective.
I have no idea if this will work.
Story # 54, Part III, O. T.
Pumping the Ocean dry, Part III.
One man believes……
One man believes that the Ocean is going to rise and will have a vested interest in NOT pumping the Ocean dry.
As reported in Fast Company, Paul van de Camp, Architect/ Developer believes that Maldives, a set of Islands in the Indian Ocean, 5 feet above sea level will disappear and will need to be replaced by a floating resort.
If the Ocean could be pumped dry near Maldives, his floating golf course would be way less cool if it ended up on dry land.
Pumping the Ocean dry, Part II
It will never work!
It is almost guaranteed that the wisdom of the crowd can tell you why this won’t work.
1. Saltwater is very corrosive and difficult to manage.
Yes, but the U.S. Navy knows more about saltwater than anybody on Earth. They can help.
2. What will we do with the salt that is condensed out?
We manage far more toxic chemicals than salt.
3a. If we try to pump water inland from the Pacific Ocean we can not get it over the Rocky Mountains to the mid-west where we need water.
Of course we can, it’s a matter of the cost.
3b. A corn farmer in the Midwest who only loses his crop every 5 years due to drought will never pay for water.
Don’t be so sure. Ask a farmer how he would plan the future if he had water available for irrigation for the next 50 years so he would never lose a crop. Now that corn has gone from $2.00 to $8.00 a bushel, there is more incentive to not fail.
4. What if we pipe it to drought areas and then they have rainy years?
There will be a need for multiple drop points. It will take time. We have electricity going to every house in the U. S. We have gas and oil pipe lines that cross the U. S. We can have water pipe lines.
5. The idea of combining a solar collector that uses water can not be adapted to saltwater.
Ok. That idea was obvious because it is a technology that exists in California and could help justify the cost. If other desalination methods are cheaper, then do that, but increase the volume tremendously and pump the water inland.
6. It will be cheaper for millions of people with beach front property to just move inland.
Maybe
7. Because water seeks its own level, it would be impossible to pump water away from the coastline fast enough to keep it from refilling.
From the book, Deep Water, one scientist, Jerry Mitrovica, says that the ‘bathtub model’ is not true. He says that local sea level almost never equals global sea level.
Once again, smart engineers could give an opinion about gaining ground from localized water pumping.
8. Since this will have to be a public works project of tremendous scale, many politicians will have to support it. It will be seen as folly until a major city is underwater.
This will be the major reason this will never happen in time to save our coastline.
How do you boil a live frog?
Put him in a pot of water and slowly raise the heat. He loves the nice warm water until it’s too late and he cooks.
Story # 54, O. T.
Let’s pump the Oceans dry!
The World may have a serious problem. The consensus of many scientists is not if the Ocean’s water level is rising ------ But by how many feet?
I have just read ‘Deep Water, As Polar Ice Melts, Scientists Debate How High Our Oceans Will Rise.’ by Daniel Grossman. He rationally presents the various theories of the melting of ice formations as a result of global warning.
The increase in Carbon Dioxide is believed to be the cause of the Earth’s increase in average temperature.
Here are my assumptions about this problem:
1. The Ocean’s water level is rising.
2. It may rise 3 – 37 feet in the next 100 years (The exact rise is irrelevant. The fact is that much beach front property and most of Florida will be under water.)
3. The most common cry for action is to reduce the emission of Carbon Dioxide by curtailing fuel combustion.
4. Reducing CO2 is unlikely to happen and may not stop the ice from melting anyway. (Before man, in past history, the ice melted and the Oceans rose.)
Here is my proposal for a way to slow the tide from rising:
1. Pump the Ocean dry.
70% of the Earth is covered by water. But only 3% is fresh water that can be used by man, animals and crops. Salt water is everywhere and we know how to get the salt out.
There are always areas of the Earth that do not have enough fresh water.
What we have here is a distribution problem.
2. De-salt the water by distillation.
There is a known system of solar collection that uses water to create steam that is used to drive steam generators for electricity.
3. Use salt water in these solar arrays.
If Ocean salt water was used in these solar collection systems, the steam produced would be condensed and collected as pure water. It’s how you made distilled water in Chemistry lab.
4. The salt water solar collector would produce two salable products ---- fresh water and electricity.
5. Who is willing to pay for water?
The true cost of normally free water is the price you would pay if you don’t have any.
There are areas of the U. S. that need water. The Colorado River is said to run dry before the flow ever gets to the Gulf of Mexico. What if we pumped water to the origin of the Colorado River and just let it feed all of the water users to the South.
In the past in the Atlanta area, there was a 5 year drought. What if we pumped water to the town reservoirs that could not supply enough water?
There are known aquifers that supply water to wells. What if we pumped fresh water into the aquifers?
6. Pumping water is a very difficult problem.
Yes, but it is just an engineering problem. Americans are very good at engineering things.
7. Pumping water is a very expensive project.
Yes, but selling the electricity and the water will cover some of the costs.
8. Who will pay to drain the Ocean?
It will have to be a government works project. Individual land owners who will see the gradual erosion of their beach front property, to include their houses, will be in a panic but really can’t do anything about it except take the loss. Cities with Ocean views will have to protect their dry land. Half of the World’s population lives within 100 miles of the Ocean.
That is a lot of people who will need the collective government’s help.
9. Will this work?
I don’t know. There are many parts of the solution that are simple engineering questions. Will pumping Ocean water inland 24/7 have any affect on the water level? There is an infinite amount of water out there.
Actually, we are already doing it. Parts of New Orleans and a quarter of the Netherlands are below sea level and we are pumping the water out to have dry land. That is continually bailing out the leaking boat. My plan is to send the water inland so it doesn’t keep coming back.
10. Sum it up.
The tide is rising at an unknown rate. The cause may be Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere. The reduction of CO2 may or may not stop global warming which is melting mega-trillions of tons of ice. The Ocean water level has risen before man was here.
So whatever the cause, we need to redistribute the de-salted water inland to where it is needed for normal human activities and farm crops.
An existing solar collection system using water converted to steam for generating electricity could be adapted to de-salt Ocean water.
The resulting pure water must be pumped inland. A network of canals could be used when practical.
Conclusion:
Pumping the Ocean dry is a solution to the impending rising tide!
Story # 54, OT
Nobody in the world knows what I know or what I see.
In the same manner, I don’t know the same set of information that any other human has. Since no two people have experienced the same set of events, it’s hard to know what other people are thinking unless they tell you. In a way they are secrets.
I’ve given away many secrets with this blog. Should I worry that someone is going to steal my plan for plants?
First, few are paying any attention. Second, ideas are easy, action is hard.
I have written some ideas that I have about a world problem. These ideas have been baking for several years and now is the time for the internet world to see.
This off-topic story will be out in a few days.
The title------------ Let’s drain the Ocean!
