
The western U.S. is locked in the grips of the first human-caused megadrought - perfunctory
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/04/16/southwest-megadrought-climate-change/
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rukittenme
Source:
[https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6488/314](https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6488/314)

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rukittenme
Whats the word on desalinization? How expensive would it be; how much water
can it produce? Anyone here in the field?

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gumby
Desal is not only energy intensive but generates a problem of what to do with
the resulting increased-salinity brine which is toxic to the draw area. And
your plant has to be designed to handle corrosive source and effluviant.

Likely it will ultimately needed but we are a long way from it being viable at
scale.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desalination#Considerations_an...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desalination#Considerations_and_criticism)

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pcdoodle
From the article: Humans "Contributed", Not caused.

Agenda much here on HN?

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readarticle
_Anthropogenic trends in temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation
estimated from 31 climate models account for 47% (model interquartiles of 35
to 105%) of the 2000–2018 drought severity, pushing an otherwise moderate
drought onto a trajectory comparable to the worst SWNA megadroughts since 800
CE._

From the abstract. If I’m reading this correctly, the contribution itself is
what tipped us over into mega drought territory.

