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Over and drought: Why the end of Israel's water shortage is a secret [desalination creates surplus]
haaretz.com ^ | January 24, 2014 | Yuval Elizur

Posted on 02/01/2014 9:46:38 AM PST by grundle

Remember all the years of being told to conserve 'every drop?' Well, times have changed: Today, Israel has so much affordable water, it can offer to export it. So why is this achievement being kept so secret?

In ancient times and even during the years of the British Mandate (1917-1948), the shortage of water in Palestine, as well as among its neighbors in the Middle East, had a decisive influence not only on the area’s economic development, but also on the political strife between Jews and Arabs. Technology has changed all this. Now, the ability to produce all the water that's needed, whether for human consumption or for agriculture, may soon change our way of life and perhaps even, if our neighbors agree, bring peace closer.

There is now a surplus of water in Israel, thanks largely to the opening of several new desalination plants - and the development of natural-gas fields that can power them cheaply. Since water is the source of life, the well-known Israeli imperative to “save every drop” should still be respected. But the price the Israeli population is charged for its water supply should be reduced by more than the 5 percent drop announced on January 1 of this year.

(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...


TOPICS: Israel; US: California
KEYWORDS: california; desalination; drought; israel; israelwater; watershortage
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To: yoe

Getting high speed rail is much more important than water, jeezz...


21 posted on 02/01/2014 10:22:22 AM PST by rossusa
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To: Mercat

I don’t see a solution until the end of times.

Genesis 16:12
“He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone’s hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers.”


22 posted on 02/01/2014 10:24:16 AM PST by CitizenUSA (Sodomy and abortion: the only constitutional rights cherished by Democrats.)
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To: grundle
Off-shore drilling + desalinization plants = End to California's water problems.
23 posted on 02/01/2014 10:26:09 AM PST by who_would_fardels_bear
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To: grundle

“Desalination has turned Israel’s water shortage into a surplus. Why hasn’t California done the same thing? “

Pfffft. Emulate plucky, intensely clever, and successful people living in a desert? Why do that when it’s easier to steal money from people who feel guilty for having the good fortune to have more than they need, using the power of government, raking off plenty in the process and helping perpetuate your term in office?


24 posted on 02/01/2014 10:30:05 AM PST by Attention Surplus Disorder (At no time was the Obama administration aware of what the Obama administration was doing)
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To: CitizenUSA

(Thorium fueled) nuclear power plants COULD produce all the electricity needed for al the world’s cities while ALSO producing hundreds of millions of gallons of desalinated sea water PLUS tons of salt for use AND keep thousands of acres of greenhouse space producing food ,flowers,or medicinal plants.Hot water from these plants could heat much of a city as was once done when the first power plants were located close to their customers. Cincinnati had a power plant on its riverfront;so they could have used waste heat to warm most of the commercial district.

The unbridled power allowed the EPA and the ability of crazed enviromentalists to sue has cost untold trillions of $$$ and resulted in lower standards of living for millions.

Of course the OPEC people have to wonder at the willing suicide of the West.Not that they don’t quietly celebrate OPEC’s accumulation of wealth and power.

Their is NO good reason the United States should be dependent on any nation much less those hostile to our freedom.


25 posted on 02/01/2014 10:36:15 AM PST by hoosierham (Freedom isn't free)
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To: volunbeer

Excellent selections.


26 posted on 02/01/2014 10:41:16 AM PST by gusopol3
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To: grundle

The plant in Carlsbad will open in 2016 and provide up to 10% of the county’s water. So we need a few more, as does the rest of the state. San Diego county is the driest along the coast and we have little of our own supply.

It has been 14 years since they sought approval, the private company and the city. They got all the permits, including coastal commission. It took 10 years; then the same groups which opposed the plant during the administrative process tried to stop it in court.

Instead of the judge deferring to the 10 years of administrative processes, he had a hearing and it stung it out another 2 years.

We are literally paralyzed in California. No new freeways, no tracking, no new power plants; so if someone builds a desal plant, it’s a miracle. But they need to get started.


27 posted on 02/01/2014 10:42:56 AM PST by morphing libertarian
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To: grundle

“Why hasn’t California done the same thing? “

Maybe it would have been a good idea, but Fukushima has put an end to that.

http://enenews.com/

There likely won’t be much surfing in California once people start hearing about this.


28 posted on 02/01/2014 10:43:43 AM PST by PastorBooks
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To: yoe

#27 FYI


29 posted on 02/01/2014 10:44:17 AM PST by morphing libertarian
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To: grundle

Who wants to save California?


30 posted on 02/01/2014 10:53:15 AM PST by bmwcyle (People who do not study history are destine to believe really ignorant statements.)
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To: grundle

To be fair, a train from and to nowhere is waaaaaaaaaaaay more important than water.


31 posted on 02/01/2014 11:06:16 AM PST by Bogey78O (We had a good run. Coulda been great still.)
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To: who_would_fardels_bear

Natural gas? And it’s economical electric generation problem too.


32 posted on 02/01/2014 11:08:47 AM PST by Texas Fossil
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To: grundle

Because the politicians in CA are too stupid to live.


33 posted on 02/01/2014 11:12:24 AM PST by Jean2
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To: fudimo

When we lived in Japan (1988-2002), we were able to buy grapefruit at the local market which were imported from Israel. Amazing little country!


34 posted on 02/01/2014 11:13:05 AM PST by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: rossusa
Getting high speed rail is much more important than water, jeezz...

...and Jesus wept.

35 posted on 02/01/2014 11:13:35 AM PST by yoe
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To: Vigilanteman

When we went to Jerusalem, we stayed a bock from the Yehuda Market. The abundance of products there, all grown in Israeli, was very impressive. We ask went through the Arab neighborhood near the Damascus gate to the Old City. Really pathetic and dirty offerings.


36 posted on 02/01/2014 11:17:18 AM PST by morphing libertarian
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To: hoosierham
The unbridled power allowed the EPA and the ability of crazed enviromentalists to sue has cost untold trillions of $$$ and resulted in lower standards of living for millions.

THE INFORMATION IS OUT THERE...IGNORANCE IS A CHOICE

"A full scale attack by EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to take control of all water from any source whatsoever is under way. What these agencies are attempting is an end run around water and land rights. These agencies are constructing regulations and fictional jurisdictional control. We cannot depend on our courts or the federal government to reign in and control these agencies as they are both privately owned corporations that masquerade as public service agencies. While congress may express their concerns about the police state actions being constructed, they have no authority or power to dictate what these agencies do under private contract law."

37 posted on 02/01/2014 11:28:10 AM PST by yoe
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To: CitizenUSA

Genesis 16:12 refers to “Ishmael”, ancestor to Mohammed and the generations of Islam we now deal with.

The rivalry of two siblings is the curse of our jhadists hatred toward Christaians/Jews...Ishmael and Isaac.


38 posted on 02/01/2014 12:03:04 PM PST by Kackikat
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To: grundle

Desalinization may soon get much better. Low maintenance nanoscale filters have been developed that use just a quarter of the energy used by reverse osmosis.

Basically they are vast numbers of tubes only wide enough to pass single molecules of water, and the molecules smaller than water are either non-toxic or volatile.

The end result is water even purer than distilled, because even air gasses have been separated out.


39 posted on 02/01/2014 12:19:24 PM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy (WoT News: Rantburg.com)
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To: morphing libertarian

Thanks for post 27.


40 posted on 02/01/2014 1:23:02 PM PST by grundle
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