Running out of water isn't going to happen. What is far more likely is increased and more frequent restrictions on water usage.
If they are allowed to charge more during droughts then they could afford to desalinate water too. Napkin maths suggests it would have to at least double the water costs in energy usage alone so desalination at current water prices makes no financial sense. Keep in mind most of your water bill is sewage, not fresh water.
Yeah, we're not going to run out of water, we're just going to have to stop using it because it isn't there anymore.
Raising prices is what running out of things looks like in a free market. That's supply and demand.
Desalination at a national scale will require desalination plants that don't exist yet. No amount of money is going to get them on line when they aren't, all raising the price does is lower demand.
Getting those desalination plants built in time so there isn't wide-spead crop failure is, as the article says, a race.
The reason we don't desalinate is because it isn't worth bothering with it. As water reserves get lower, more extreme restrictions are brought in. I don't think we saw anything more extreme than a hosepipe ban so far although some areas were considering moving to the next step. Last time I looked into it (varies by region IIRC) there were like 5 or so steps of escalating restrictions with the last one being mains shut off and you have to collect water from a distribution point.
I can't wash my yacht or water my golf course for a few weeks != we have ran out of water.
Probably should have thought of that 40 years ago. Or even 70+ years ago, but I would be surprised if any politicians actually gave a fuck and listened to the science.
10 Comments
StealthLizardDrop@piefed.social · 7 pts · 3d
And not a word about the leaky pipes from Thames water or their CEO bonuses to deliver nothing of value to customers (except bills)
dumnezero@piefed.social · 7 pts · 3d
Obsession with growth x hatred of maintenance => disaster in the future
(we are living the future of the older generations)
HerbGrower@slrpnk.net · 4 pts · 3d
Running out of water isn't going to happen. What is far more likely is increased and more frequent restrictions on water usage.
If they are allowed to charge more during droughts then they could afford to desalinate water too. Napkin maths suggests it would have to at least double the water costs in energy usage alone so desalination at current water prices makes no financial sense. Keep in mind most of your water bill is sewage, not fresh water.
Tiresia@slrpnk.net · 5 pts · 3d
Yeah, we're not going to run out of water, we're just going to have to stop using it because it isn't there anymore.
Raising prices is what running out of things looks like in a free market. That's supply and demand.
Desalination at a national scale will require desalination plants that don't exist yet. No amount of money is going to get them on line when they aren't, all raising the price does is lower demand.
Getting those desalination plants built in time so there isn't wide-spead crop failure is, as the article says, a race.
HerbGrower@slrpnk.net · 0 pts · 3d
The reason we don't desalinate is because it isn't worth bothering with it. As water reserves get lower, more extreme restrictions are brought in. I don't think we saw anything more extreme than a hosepipe ban so far although some areas were considering moving to the next step. Last time I looked into it (varies by region IIRC) there were like 5 or so steps of escalating restrictions with the last one being mains shut off and you have to collect water from a distribution point.
I can't wash my yacht or water my golf course for a few weeks != we have ran out of water.
OryxAndCake@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 1d
Global freshwater demand will exceed supply 40% by 2030
HerbGrower@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 1d
There is a massive difference between wanting to use more water than you have and running out of it.
OryxAndCake@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 18h
Don't Look Up if it makes you feel better I guess. And it's not like there's anything we could do about the situation anyway.
HubertManne@piefed.social · 3 pts · 2d
wow. yeah england running out of water is quite the dystopic statement.
snoons@piefed.ca · 3 pts · 3d
Probably should have thought of that 40 years ago. Or even 70+ years ago, but I would be surprised if any politicians actually gave a fuck and listened to the science.