1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: Welcome to you Stuff you should know from House Stuff 2 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 3 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: Josh Clark. There's Charles W. Chuck Bryant and guest producer. No, 4 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:21,760 Speaker 1: so this is stuff you should know, Stuff you should know. Yeah, 5 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: Neil has been waiting for that one for a month. 6 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: That's right, Well you got it, know finally. How do 7 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: you feel? It feels great? Just woke me up? Uh? 8 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,959 Speaker 1: Are you're doing okay? I'm doing fine, sir. I think 9 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,639 Speaker 1: we need more air circulation in this place, in our 10 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 1: new little Uh. It makes you LOGI makes me logi? 11 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:49,239 Speaker 1: What's logi? Josh? Just mimic being tired? Okay, A right, 12 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,200 Speaker 1: I've never heard that. Is that a real word logi? 13 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: Or is it some Internet short for something much older 14 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: than that? Okay, keep hello? And what I don't know something? Uh, 15 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 1: it's something g I. That's first of balls you're thinking of? Yeah, 16 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: I don't know what any of the little internet shorthand is. 17 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: I always have to look that stuff up when someone 18 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,320 Speaker 1: leaves a comment. Um, have you heard of first of balls? 19 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: Instead of first of all? It's now first of bulls? 20 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: What just by leading us in? It's like first of all, 21 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 1: blah blah blah. First of balls, what Yeah, that's just stupid. 22 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: Now I'm at more of the acronyms like fomo and 23 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: oh yeah, I have to I never know what those are. 24 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,400 Speaker 1: We're getting aged. We think first of alls is stupid. 25 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:42,839 Speaker 1: We have to look at acronyms. I look up fomo 26 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,400 Speaker 1: if you're missing out by the way, Oh, is that 27 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: what that is? Yeah? I had to look up that. 28 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: When I was watching Broad City. One of them said that, 29 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: and I was like, what's fomo? I gotta I gotta 30 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: keep the old internet handy when I watch those young 31 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: kids shows. That shows pretty funny. Yeah, it's one. It's 32 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: my favorite comment the out right. Now. I think I'm 33 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: really really enjoy it. I just posted today, in fact, 34 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: on our Facebook page, a great to New Yorker article 35 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 1: on Abbey and Allana. Nice because you know how that 36 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: the New Yorker does it, They do it great in depth. Yeah, 37 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: you know, you feel like I never have to read 38 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: another article again about the ladies of Broad City. When 39 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 1: the New Yorker does it, it stays done. That's I 40 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,799 Speaker 1: think their masked head, is it. Yeah, the New Yorker, 41 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 1: when we do it, it stays done. I've read at 42 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: New Yorker article from that was still awesome about this 43 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 1: band called the Shags. It was a super Orleans article 44 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: at the Orchid thiefure Um. But it was about this 45 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: this family band, a girl band called the Shags from 46 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: the sixties. I've heard of them who, like I, didn't 47 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: really learn to play their instruments, even though they practice 48 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 1: all the time. Yep, you're going to be a band. 49 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: He tried to take him to the top as much 50 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: as he could, even right. Yeah, yeah, I remember reading it. 51 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: That might have been the same article, but are super interesting. 52 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: Our friend Van nostri And sent us the record. Oh okay, 53 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: maybe that's what got me looking into it. The only 54 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: problem is that he burned it on CD and like, like, 55 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 1: our computers don't have CD players mine? Does it home? Good? Yeah? 56 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: Well I need you to put it on the cloud. 57 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:25,239 Speaker 1: You just come over listen to the Shags of the 58 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: Shags party. Wait, we're talking about illegal activities. We need 59 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: to buy the Shag album. I don't think it's still 60 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: in print. Okay, Chuck, Yes, are you familiar with seawater? Yes? Uh, 61 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: you know there's tons of it out there in the world. 62 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: That's right. As a matter of fact, chuckers. Seven point 63 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: five percent of all the water and earth, and that's 64 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 1: seventy of the Earth's surface area is water, right, Yeah, 65 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: seven point five percent of that is saltwater sea water, 66 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: which is great. It's good for sailing on, its good 67 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: for swimming in, it's good for catching um porpoises in 68 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: doing all sorts of cool stuff, right porpoise fishing expedition. Right. Um. 69 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: The problem is it is terrible, horrible, unbearable for drinking. 70 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,119 Speaker 1: The reason why is because when you drink salt water, 71 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:27,479 Speaker 1: it messes with your body's homeostasis. Does this because salt 72 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 1: is an electro light, just like they talk about in Um, 73 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: what's that Mike Judge movie that I love that you 74 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: don't like? Oh idiocricy idiocracy. Yeah, remember they water the 75 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: crops with gatoring because it has electro lights. I do 76 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: not like it. I love that movie. It's a medium 77 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:51,920 Speaker 1: for me. Okay. Um, When you have too many electrolytes 78 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: or salts, for example, in your body, your body says, hey, cells, 79 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 1: you've got a bunch of water, We've got too much 80 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: salt outside of you. We need you to release some 81 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 1: of your water to return the body to homeostasis. Well, 82 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 1: if you have too much salt, yourselves purge themselves with 83 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: too much water in order to excrete the salt out 84 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: of your body through urine. Right. Um. And once you 85 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 1: do that, you dehydrate your kiddie's malfunction, your brain starts 86 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 1: to go downhill, you get brain damage, and you ultimately 87 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: die a terrible, horrible death from electrolyton balance. Yeah, and 88 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: that's why when, um, if you were ever lost at sea, 89 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 1: let's hope that never happens to anyone. But um, they 90 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: you do not drink the salt water. It would be 91 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:39,919 Speaker 1: very tempting because it's right there. Um, But they're not 92 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,720 Speaker 1: kidding when they say water water everywhere, and not a 93 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: drop to drink. Yeah, I mean you will. You will 94 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: die a quicker death if you start drinking that salt water. 95 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 1: In fact, this has been like a problem for a 96 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 1: very long time. Humans have lived in coastal areas for 97 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: a long, long long time, even before civilization, long long 98 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 1: long time. Yeah, so as far because I believe the 99 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: Greeks in the second century BC wrote down ways of 100 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 1: getting fresh water from saltwater because it's still water. Sure, 101 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: you just have to figure out how to get the 102 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,160 Speaker 1: salt out of the water. And one of the best ways, 103 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: one of the earliest ways, and one of the ways. 104 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: It's still in use, although in much more high tech 105 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 1: use is called solar still. Yeah, I guess a little 106 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 1: bit more on the history Aristotle, Uh three BC, it 107 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,479 Speaker 1: was like, hey, we should desalinate water. So that's the 108 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 1: zero two hundred, that'd be the fourth century BC. Okay, 109 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: I was wrong. Uh. Plenty the elder, which we by 110 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:42,719 Speaker 1: the way, is there a younger? We just got some beer, 111 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: some plenty the elder. Yeah, thank you Dan, It was Dan, Dan, dude, 112 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: very much appreciated. I just can't get that stuff here. No, 113 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: it's an extraordinarily rare beer. Uh dancing of some plenty 114 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: the elder, So thanks for that. But plenty the elder 115 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 1: in Rome Uh also described seawater distillation, and in seventy 116 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: a d Alexander of Afrodysseus also did so. About a 117 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: hundred and thirty years later, and then there was a 118 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: French explorer named gen de Lrie. Who um did you 119 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:22,920 Speaker 1: like that? Who Um? In Fifi talked about desalination. James 120 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:25,560 Speaker 1: Cook as well, so it's not a new thing. For 121 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: many years, humans have been able to look around and say, 122 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: you want water, There's plenty of it. Let's just figure 123 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 1: out a way to to make it not salty. Water 124 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: water everywhere, and let's all have a drink. Yeah, which 125 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: got me um thinking sort of later in the research, 126 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: like why is the ocean salty to begin with? And 127 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:47,480 Speaker 1: I didn't really know until I looked it up. That 128 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 1: was a good question. Yeah. It turns out that salt 129 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 1: from the ocean comes from rocks here on Earth. It's 130 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: not just out there in the ocean it Um. What 131 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: happens is it rains and then uh, it falls on 132 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: the land and it contains carbon dioxide from the air, 133 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: and that makes the rain slightly acidic. So when it 134 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 1: hits the rocks, it's gonna break down that rock. Some 135 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: creating ions, which we've talked about chemical particles that are charged, Yeah, 136 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: because they're missing an electron, that's right. Uh. And these 137 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: ions are basically just carried into streams, which eventually into 138 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 1: rivers and eventually into oceans, and along the way, a 139 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 1: lot of them are used up by organisms. Um, but 140 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 1: the ones that are not used up are left over. 141 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 1: And of all these ions are sodium and chloride. So boom, 142 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: there you have it. Put those two together, you've got salt. Yep, 143 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 1: and all that stuff flows in the ocean. And that's 144 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: why you have got a couple of stats. The three 145 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: point five percent of the weight of seawater comes from 146 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:55,960 Speaker 1: dissolved salts. And they say, some say that if you 147 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 1: took all the salt from the ocean and spread it 148 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:03,320 Speaker 1: evenly over the Earth's land, just the land, it would 149 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: be about a forty stories high five feet thick. Wow, 150 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: there's a lot of salt to get rid of you 151 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: and it's all from broken down rocks. Huh. Yeah. And 152 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: why is desalination a big deal? Because? Uh, clean potable 153 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 1: drinking water is a problem in a lot of parts 154 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:23,560 Speaker 1: of the world. Dude, it is getting to be a 155 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 1: problem faster and faster. Yeah. Like some people say that 156 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 1: the future wars will be fought over water, which is 157 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:33,559 Speaker 1: really scary to think about, you know. Um, and for 158 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 1: drought to like, uh, it's not just you know, I'm 159 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 1: in a developing country and we don't have access to 160 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:42,680 Speaker 1: clean drinking water, big problem, But places like California suffer 161 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: a drought, Like maybe we should think about building desalination plants, right, 162 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: and they have as a result. Yeah, which we'll get to. 163 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:51,960 Speaker 1: So so first of all, we should say happy World 164 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: Water Day to everybody. It's March two is World Water Day. 165 00:09:56,120 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: So just think about that while you're you know it's 166 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:05,920 Speaker 1: March um. And yes, so there's a there's a great 167 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,839 Speaker 1: need for water. That's the whole reason for World Water 168 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:12,079 Speaker 1: Day is to point that out. Supposedly right now, seven 169 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 1: million people, um, black access to water. They don't have. 170 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 1: There's a water scarcity clean drinking water, yes, um. And 171 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: they think that that's gonna rise to one point eight 172 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: billion by in ten years. It's gonna add another one 173 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 1: point one billion people to those who face water shortages. Yeah. 174 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 1: We talked about that a little bit in our Life 175 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 1: Straw podcasts from quite a few years ago. But the 176 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: life straw is a um it's about to say single use, 177 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 1: not single use, but single serving, single well, not single serving. 178 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: It's uh what do you call it? If like it's 179 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:58,000 Speaker 1: just for one person or a family, uh, single person? Personal? Yeah, heirloom. 180 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 1: It's a personal uh device that you can use to 181 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 1: literally drink water like out of a river through this straw. 182 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 1: You just put it in the river. It's got filters 183 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:10,679 Speaker 1: in it, so it filters out I don't it doesn't 184 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 1: filter out salid and it has to be used for 185 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:16,000 Speaker 1: fresh water, but it filters out like bacteria, things that 186 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:20,199 Speaker 1: you know, disease causing stuff. Um. So, yeah, we did 187 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: talk about water scarce today. I think we've talked about 188 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 1: it in another one too, like why can't we manufacture 189 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 1: water and things like that. It's part of our water 190 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 1: sweet it is, and it's ongoing because the problem is 191 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: not getting better, it's getting worse. One of one of 192 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,720 Speaker 1: the responses to water shortages around the world is what's 193 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: called virtual water exporting, which is where you and I 194 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 1: have a bunch of fresh water and we use it 195 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:48,160 Speaker 1: to grow grain, and then we send that grain to 196 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:51,040 Speaker 1: a place that doesn't have much water, so they get 197 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 1: to use their water for drinking. They don't have to 198 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:56,080 Speaker 1: use it for grain. That makes so and there's a 199 00:11:56,080 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 1: lot of different things that we use water for that 200 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,280 Speaker 1: can be exported. It's hard to explore water, but you 201 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: can use it for stuff and save other people from 202 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 1: having to use it. Right. Um, because we use a 203 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 1: lot of water. We do use a lot of water, 204 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:13,560 Speaker 1: Americans especially, but you hear stats like, oh, this desalination 205 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:17,120 Speaker 1: plant can pump out like fifteen billion gallons of fresh water. 206 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: You think, man, fifteen billion gallons is so much. It's 207 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:22,720 Speaker 1: not very much at all. No, it's not a scheme. 208 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:26,720 Speaker 1: I think fifteen billion goallons of water is two thirds 209 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: of a percent, two thirds of one percent of the 210 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 1: amount of water used by humans every day. Yeah, and um, 211 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 1: I think all of the desalination plants online, there's seventeen 212 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:44,400 Speaker 1: thousand of them. Yeah, and that accounts. I think that's 213 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 1: all of them, from the from the very small ones 214 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 1: to the ones that are also used in like uh 215 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 1: as part of the fracking process. So it's not necessarily 216 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 1: all of those are to deliver water to humans. But yeah, 217 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 1: there are that many. So the seventeen thousand desalination plants 218 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 1: online in the world, and they think that could double 219 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:11,319 Speaker 1: by um, which is pretty good. That's those seventeen thousand 220 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 1: of producing twenty one billion gallons a day. I remember, 221 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: fifteen billion is two thirds of one percent of all 222 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 1: of the fresh water used every day around the world. 223 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 1: So it's still sorry for the pun, but a drop 224 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 1: in the bucket. Yeah, but things are changing fast. They 225 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 1: are this new one in California, which we're going to 226 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 1: talk about later. UM is the largest in the Western Hemisphere. 227 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:37,680 Speaker 1: Will produce fifty million gallons per day on its own. 228 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:41,600 Speaker 1: It's pretty substantial, pretty substantial. UM. So we'll talk about 229 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: the technology used in this. It's actually kind of old. 230 00:13:45,640 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: It needs a little updating, right for this, So, Chuck, 231 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:18,000 Speaker 1: there's basically two ways that humans desalinate sea water. Yeah 232 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:21,880 Speaker 1: and UM. They've both been around for many, many decades. 233 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 1: They're in theory. They're pretty good at removing sea salt 234 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:32,640 Speaker 1: from seawater to create fresh water. But there's over the 235 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 1: course of these decades we've found this could be improved, 236 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:38,600 Speaker 1: This could be improved. That can be improved, and we'll 237 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 1: talk about that later. But this technology, it's been around 238 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,440 Speaker 1: for a little while, is what I'm trying to say. 239 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: UM and the two different The main competitors are UM, 240 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 1: multi stage flash UH desalination. Yeah. Sometimes I've talked like 241 00:14:56,120 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: Barack Obama, Well that's a good thing. I'm not getting political, 242 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,640 Speaker 1: Dge mean, he's known as a great orator, was Chuck 243 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:09,320 Speaker 1: was uh? And and the other one is reverse osmosis. 244 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: Do you remember like that poster in in elementary school 245 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:15,400 Speaker 1: it was like Garfield laying down on a pile of 246 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 1: books taking a nap, and it said, I'm learning through osmosis. 247 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 1: I think I do remember that. I was the Garfield 248 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 1: fan think that every time I see the word osmosis. Yeah, 249 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:25,920 Speaker 1: I didn't get the joke when I was a kid, 250 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:28,560 Speaker 1: and now that I do get, it's not that funny, 251 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 1: but I'm reminded of it every time. Yeah, he didn't 252 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:37,360 Speaker 1: understand why it Lasagna right. Yeah, it's kind of weird 253 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 1: to think about now. And the so the reverse osmosis 254 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 1: one is the state of the art. That's the one 255 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 1: that's used most widely. Yes, and uh, I think that 256 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 1: term was coined in the nineteen fifties by the U. S. Military. 257 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 1: I think we're the first ones to start using that process. Yeah, 258 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 1: World War two makes sense. It was an Eisenhoward creation probably. Yeah, Like, 259 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 1: we're out on this eye in the Pacific. Our soldiers 260 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: need some stuff, so let's start a process to um 261 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 1: buy stuff, I mean water. We'll start a process where 262 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 1: we can take the salt out of the water all 263 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 1: around us. And so they did reverse osmosis. Yeah, and 264 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: and again, I mean we talked about solar stills right, Yeah, 265 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:18,720 Speaker 1: I don't think we described like. You can do this 266 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 1: experiment yourself and your at your house. Well. And also, 267 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:27,760 Speaker 1: if you're ever caught without without water, you're stranded at sea. Yea, 268 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 1: all you need is a bowl and a glass rap 269 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 1: and you're fine. Yeah, I mean you can use other things, 270 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:39,240 Speaker 1: like if you were Tom Hanks and castaway, you could 271 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 1: just try and use the things around you to create 272 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 1: the same effect. But yes, go ahead and describe it. Well, 273 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,400 Speaker 1: you take you take some seawater, you put it in 274 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: a bowl. You put an empty glass in the middle 275 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:53,440 Speaker 1: of that water. Um, I guess you want to make 276 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 1: sure it doesn't float. Other than that, you're fine. Put 277 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 1: some stine wrap over it. Poke a hole in the 278 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 1: middle of the surrand wrap so that it's over the 279 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 1: center of the empty glass, and just set it out 280 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 1: in the sun. Yeah, because the sun will cause the 281 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 1: water to evaporate, which means it will go up to 282 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:13,879 Speaker 1: the underside of the suran wrap, cling to it and 283 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:20,680 Speaker 1: condensate into the glass. Oh yeah, into the glass, right, 284 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:23,600 Speaker 1: And what goes into the glass will be freshwater. The 285 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:26,159 Speaker 1: salt will be left behind because the evaporation will have 286 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:31,680 Speaker 1: separated the two. Yeah, and we're basically described describing you know, rain, right, 287 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:34,720 Speaker 1: the rain cycle, but in a glass of suran wrap exactly. 288 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:40,679 Speaker 1: And by seran wrap we mean like cellophane wrap. Um. 289 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 1: But that's a solar still, that's pretty basic. You can 290 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:44,919 Speaker 1: do it on a rowboat again, if you have a 291 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:49,360 Speaker 1: glass of bowling suran wrap. Um. Reverse osmosis is something different, 292 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:54,120 Speaker 1: that's right. It's actually the opposite of natural. Quite literally, yes, 293 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:58,679 Speaker 1: because osmoses is natural. Reverse osmoses ain't natural. It ain't natural. 294 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: That is when you put salt water on one side 295 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:06,040 Speaker 1: of the membrane, semiprobreable membrane and he use pressure to 296 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 1: the tune of I think this one in California is 297 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:12,480 Speaker 1: like they said, six times as powerful as a fire hose. 298 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:17,840 Speaker 1: Whoa so serious pressure to um to move the water 299 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:20,879 Speaker 1: molecules through that membrane basically, and it's it's like a 300 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:24,679 Speaker 1: big filter filters out the salt. Yeah, it's it's calling 301 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:27,720 Speaker 1: it anything else, but a filter is kind of fancy. Yeah, 302 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:29,960 Speaker 1: because I think they said the pores on these membranes 303 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 1: are like smaller than a human hair. So it's not 304 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:35,159 Speaker 1: like your average filtering, you know what I mean. No, 305 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:38,640 Speaker 1: it's not The point is what you're doing is you're 306 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:41,280 Speaker 1: you're pushing water through membrane that the water can make 307 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:45,240 Speaker 1: it through, but the salute, the salt inside of it can't, 308 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,040 Speaker 1: so the salt is left behind, right and um in 309 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:51,919 Speaker 1: a reverse osmosis system, and they call it reverse osmosis 310 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 1: because under normal osmosis, what you have is something with 311 00:18:56,080 --> 00:19:00,200 Speaker 1: a low concentration of a slute, So fresh water water 312 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:03,919 Speaker 1: on one side of a membrane and saltwater on the 313 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:07,879 Speaker 1: other side of the membrane. That water is going to 314 00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: the freshwater is going to move from the area of 315 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:15,199 Speaker 1: low concentration, so the freshwater is going to move to 316 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 1: an area of higher concentration the saltwater in order to 317 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 1: achieve one of our favorite things, homeostasis, it wants to 318 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 1: achieve a balance so that the stuff on either side 319 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:30,439 Speaker 1: of the membrane will be equally salty. Right that that 320 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:34,240 Speaker 1: makes sense, Okay? Reverse ASBOs is the opposite. So if 321 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:37,920 Speaker 1: water naturally wants to go from low concentration too high, 322 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: with reverse osmosis, you're going from high concentration to low. 323 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:46,119 Speaker 1: And that's just again another way of putting it, of 324 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 1: saying you're filtering the salt from the water by pushing 325 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 1: the water through a membrane with a lot of pressure 326 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 1: via a lot of pumps. Yeah, and you're running it 327 00:19:54,800 --> 00:20:00,480 Speaker 1: through a lot more than just one membrane. Oh sure, yeah, yeah, great. 328 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 1: So that's reverse osmosis number one. Uh and not number 329 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:07,640 Speaker 1: one in ranking, just it's number one in my book. 330 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 1: It see, I'm a multi stage flash guy, are you sure? 331 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 1: Why not? Uh? That uses heat. If you've heard of flashing, 332 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:17,879 Speaker 1: like flash buying or something, basically means to do something 333 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:22,320 Speaker 1: cooking wise very quickly. Um. So flashing in this case 334 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 1: is bringing water to a boil really quickly, and multi 335 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:29,080 Speaker 1: stage means you're gonna do it in different stages multiple times. 336 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:31,880 Speaker 1: So the name makes sense. Yeah. So basically what you're 337 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:36,280 Speaker 1: doing is you're gonna boil this water super fast many times. 338 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: And each time this happens, water vapor is going to form, 339 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:43,560 Speaker 1: and uh, you're gonna have fresh water there and then 340 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:47,399 Speaker 1: the salty brine is left over to be disposed of. 341 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 1: It's like making a solar still, like a flash boiled 342 00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:53,280 Speaker 1: solar still over and over again. That's right. So yeah, 343 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:57,919 Speaker 1: multi flash, multi stage flash is like um, a super 344 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 1: hot solar still over and over again, and each time 345 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:07,600 Speaker 1: you collect that evaporated fresh water behind. There's some real 346 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:10,640 Speaker 1: issues with both of these right, as simple as they are. 347 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:13,680 Speaker 1: Um And one of the chief ones is that if 348 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:17,200 Speaker 1: you take a bunch of saltwater, right and you either 349 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: filter the freshwater out of it or you boil the 350 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:25,720 Speaker 1: fresh water out of it, there's still something left, and 351 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:28,600 Speaker 1: that is salt, and you're probably not gonna get all 352 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:31,480 Speaker 1: the water. So what you have is called brine. And 353 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:35,119 Speaker 1: if you compare brine to seawater, brian is even saltier 354 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 1: than seawater. The reason why is there's not more salt 355 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:42,360 Speaker 1: than there's in seawater. There's just less water. So it's 356 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:46,159 Speaker 1: like an ultra concentrated form of seawater. Well, you're not 357 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:48,800 Speaker 1: gonna do anything with this except try to put it 358 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: back in the ocean. Once you do that, you have 359 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 1: a big, big problem because you kill a lot of 360 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:57,439 Speaker 1: the sea life. Yeah. It basically it's heavier, so it 361 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 1: settles down on the bottom. And um So the things 362 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 1: that they're trying now to combat that is uh one, uh, 363 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 1: diluting it with a bunch of other water. Yeah, I 364 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:12,720 Speaker 1: think of five to one ratio is what they are 365 00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:15,640 Speaker 1: suggesting at this point. And they're not saying like, well, 366 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: we'll just use some of the fresh water we just 367 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:19,720 Speaker 1: distilled out. That wouldn't make any sense. They're using things 368 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:24,719 Speaker 1: like UM industrial or agricultural waste water that they were 369 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 1: just gonna pump into the ocean anyway, exactly, So mix 370 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:30,199 Speaker 1: it with that brine diluted out and it's not going 371 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 1: to be as bad for the environment. Uh. They're also 372 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 1: doing it gradually now, much much slower, which also helps. Uh. 373 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:42,560 Speaker 1: They're strategically placing it in the ocean in places where 374 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:47,880 Speaker 1: it is more UM apt to disperse very quickly. It's 375 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 1: a very strategic placement. I think in Australia they try 376 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: to do uh, they try to re release it to 377 00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:57,200 Speaker 1: the tune of UM a hundred and sixty two fifty 378 00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 1: ft away, you won't tell any difference in the are 379 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:03,840 Speaker 1: uh salt concentrations. And then the last thing that they're 380 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:06,879 Speaker 1: trying to enforce whenever we build these new plants is 381 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:11,120 Speaker 1: UM to bury these pipes and actually do it under 382 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:15,640 Speaker 1: the sea floor. Uh. Out of yeah, well, I mean 383 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:17,399 Speaker 1: out of side. In other words, is not being released 384 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 1: directly into the water. It's being released into the sand 385 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:23,200 Speaker 1: under the water, and then I think the sand actually 386 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 1: acts as it filter as it disperses. But that's a 387 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:30,200 Speaker 1: lot more expense as well to bury these pipes, um, 388 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,360 Speaker 1: so chuck. Dealing with Brian is just one challenge that 389 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 1: desalination engineers have to deal with the plenty of other 390 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:40,159 Speaker 1: ones that popped up over time and come up with 391 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 1: some pretty cool solutions or ideas for solving some of 392 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 1: these problems. We're gonna get into that right after this, 393 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:13,760 Speaker 1: so chuck. Um. When you put seawater through reverse osmosis 394 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 1: or multi stage flash, you end up with Brian and 395 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:17,720 Speaker 1: you have to figure out what to do with that Brian. 396 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 1: There's some other problems too with desalination. For one, it's expensive. Um. 397 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:29,320 Speaker 1: Apparently they measure water on the scale of things like 398 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:35,560 Speaker 1: desalination plants and something called um what foot acre, and 399 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:38,840 Speaker 1: a foot acre is like three thousand gallons, and a 400 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:43,119 Speaker 1: foot acre is about the amount of water at a 401 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 1: two American households of five people using a year UM 402 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:52,960 Speaker 1: too to deliver desalinated water. At least for the major 403 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:56,879 Speaker 1: plant that they're building at Carlsbad, California, UM, it's gonna 404 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:00,720 Speaker 1: be about two thousand dollars per foot acre. Yeah, and 405 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,440 Speaker 1: we've seen ranges and other articles from other plants um 406 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 1: averaging eight hundred to fourteen hundred. This one's a little 407 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:08,439 Speaker 1: bit on the high side. But what they're doing is 408 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:12,120 Speaker 1: selling it back to the UH city at a rate 409 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:15,399 Speaker 1: of two thousand, fourteen to two thousand, two hundred and 410 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:20,560 Speaker 1: fifty seven dollars per foot acre, depending on how much 411 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:23,040 Speaker 1: they're buying at a time. So basically that's how they 412 00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:26,200 Speaker 1: paid for this thing in California. Because they're super expensive 413 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:29,119 Speaker 1: to build these plants. They got a thirty year contract 414 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:32,760 Speaker 1: agreeing to buy at least forty eight thousand acres acre 415 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:36,080 Speaker 1: feet per year, so bonds on that and now they 416 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:39,119 Speaker 1: can open their plant. But the problem is, and the 417 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:40,800 Speaker 1: reason a lot of people are upset about this is 418 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,280 Speaker 1: they're like, it's gonna start costing more and more, and like, 419 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:48,360 Speaker 1: what happens then, I don't know, I guess people pay 420 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:50,640 Speaker 1: more for water. Well, people are definitely gonna be paying 421 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:53,800 Speaker 1: more for water. That's been a really criticism for a 422 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 1: very long time of water in America is that it's 423 00:25:56,680 --> 00:26:02,040 Speaker 1: um artificially cheap. It's should be way more expensive than 424 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:05,680 Speaker 1: it is because there you know, there's plenty of places 425 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:08,600 Speaker 1: that have lots of water, but there's also plenty of 426 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:13,520 Speaker 1: places that are facing drought. UM and the fact that 427 00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: it's so cheap, people tend to abuse it, don't conserve 428 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:21,879 Speaker 1: it as much in places where it's very cheap and inexpensive. 429 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 1: So just by increasing the price, there's the school of 430 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 1: thought that UM conservation will kick in just because economics 431 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:35,119 Speaker 1: kicks in a little more. Yeah, there's some price comparisons here. UM. 432 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 1: With this new one in California, the two thousand a 433 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 1: foot acre or an acre foot I think we had 434 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:46,360 Speaker 1: that backwards is double that of we had acre. UM. 435 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:48,480 Speaker 1: It's double that of water obtained if you built a 436 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:52,440 Speaker 1: new reservoir to recycle waste water, and it is four 437 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:54,960 Speaker 1: times as much as obtaining what they call new water 438 00:26:55,320 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 1: from conservation methods, so water efficient toilets rebates UM paying 439 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 1: for farmers to install like drip irrigation. UH, and that's 440 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 1: conservation four times UM four times is expensive. It's four 441 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 1: four times more expensive than that than the conservation efforts 442 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:15,800 Speaker 1: they want to try and push through. One of the 443 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:19,760 Speaker 1: reasons it's so expensive is because, especially with reverse osmosis. 444 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:22,600 Speaker 1: You said that they were using pressure that that exceeded 445 00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:26,240 Speaker 1: fire hose pressures right six times. Yeah, Okay, that takes 446 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:30,360 Speaker 1: a lot of energy because you start out with intake pipes, 447 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:33,320 Speaker 1: which again present their own problems because they suck in 448 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:36,200 Speaker 1: lots of sea life. So there's a there's an immedia 449 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:41,800 Speaker 1: in um deleterious effect on the sea life by sucking 450 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:45,360 Speaker 1: in seawater. Right. Um, So you're sucking in the seawater 451 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:49,159 Speaker 1: under high pressure. You're pumping it through sand and charcoal 452 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:52,680 Speaker 1: pre treatment. You're pumping it through these membranes, series of 453 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:56,679 Speaker 1: you know, usually more than a thousand membranes over a 454 00:27:56,840 --> 00:28:01,320 Speaker 1: very long distance uh into this treatment plant where it's 455 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:05,639 Speaker 1: further treated. All this requires a tremendous amount of energy, 456 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:11,439 Speaker 1: right and when you are when you're desalinating seawater, in particular, 457 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 1: films back tend to build up on these membranes, which 458 00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:18,640 Speaker 1: means you're pumps have to work harder, which means more 459 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:23,000 Speaker 1: energy is required to pump that water through, which means 460 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 1: the costs rise, the environmental impact prices because it's getting 461 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:30,240 Speaker 1: energy probably from a coal fire power plant. So you 462 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:34,080 Speaker 1: have this new huge desalination plant that's that wasn't there 463 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:38,920 Speaker 1: before that's increasing your carbon dioxide emissions. So there's a 464 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 1: there's a cost to there's an economic cost. There's also 465 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 1: an environmental cost with reverse osmosives plants as they exist 466 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:48,280 Speaker 1: right now. Yeah, I've got a stat on the energy 467 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 1: required this one in Carl's Bad, California, which is just 468 00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 1: north of San Diego. It uses thirty eight megawatts of 469 00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 1: energy per day and that is enough to power homes 470 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: a day a day that wasn't there before. Yeah, it 471 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 1: hasn't gone online yet. When it doesn't two sixteen, it'll 472 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:10,440 Speaker 1: be like adding how many five hundred homes worth of 473 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:15,960 Speaker 1: energy per day? Yeah, and that's um. I mean, it's 474 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 1: great to try and provide because California is doing it 475 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:22,160 Speaker 1: specifically for their drought issues. But as we said, even 476 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:24,880 Speaker 1: at fifty million gallons a day, it's just a fraction 477 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:28,360 Speaker 1: of the problem. And people are there's a lot of 478 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:31,920 Speaker 1: people critics saying we don't need to be putting our 479 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:35,120 Speaker 1: money in these things. They have examples of m ones 480 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 1: that were built. There was one in Santa Barbara that 481 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:41,840 Speaker 1: was built in that cost thirty four million to build 482 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 1: and after they started it started raining again. Basically they 483 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:53,040 Speaker 1: shut it down Australia had spent ten billion on six 484 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:55,360 Speaker 1: of these because of their drought in the nineties and 485 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:58,240 Speaker 1: two thousand's and four of those are shut down now 486 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:02,240 Speaker 1: because it started rain again. And basically they're like, it's 487 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:04,560 Speaker 1: not it's costing way too much money to make this 488 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 1: water now, we don't need it. Right, Well, it's the 489 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 1: same thing as like solar power wind power. When oil 490 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:14,160 Speaker 1: gets really expensive, then the investment in that seems smarter 491 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 1: because the comparatively speaking, the output of solar power windpower 492 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:24,040 Speaker 1: isn't as expensive as that expensive oil, right And when 493 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:28,160 Speaker 1: the price of oil drops that that solar power output 494 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:32,320 Speaker 1: seems really really expensive comparison, and so investment goes away 495 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 1: from it. But what you don't want to have happened, 496 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:36,080 Speaker 1: and what they're worried about in California is they're going 497 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:38,640 Speaker 1: to build several of these at the cost of like 498 00:30:38,680 --> 00:30:41,520 Speaker 1: a billion apiece, and they get a lot of rain 499 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:43,400 Speaker 1: in five years and then all of a sudden these 500 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:45,920 Speaker 1: things are just sitting there. Yeah, So I get the impression. 501 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 1: I think it actually says in this San Jose Mercury 502 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:53,440 Speaker 1: article you sent um that this Carl's Bad desalination plant 503 00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:56,480 Speaker 1: outside of San Diego is going to basically be the 504 00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:58,680 Speaker 1: litmus test for the rest of the state. Yeah, it's 505 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:03,560 Speaker 1: a really big deal. So, like either California will say, yes, 506 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 1: desalination works and let's start investing in this, or they're 507 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 1: gonna say, no, this doesn't work. It has too much 508 00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 1: of an environmental cost, the water is too expensive. It 509 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:14,480 Speaker 1: just isn't what we need to do. We have to 510 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:17,320 Speaker 1: figure out some other stuff. Uh, And it's all coming 511 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:20,160 Speaker 1: down to this one plant in two thousand and sixteen 512 00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:25,440 Speaker 1: pretty much. But there's been other success stories throughout the world, 513 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:29,000 Speaker 1: like UM has a lot of them. Yeah, Saudi Arabia 514 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:32,880 Speaker 1: as a leader in desalination, so too is Israel. UM 515 00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:36,080 Speaker 1: Australia knows what they're doing. Aruba had at the time 516 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:40,479 Speaker 1: it opened the largest um productive desalination plant in the world. 517 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 1: So there's a lot of desalination going on. So even 518 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 1: if California decides to abandon it, there still needs to 519 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:50,440 Speaker 1: be an investment in making these things more energy efficient 520 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:54,120 Speaker 1: or environmentally friendly or coming up with new kinds of 521 00:31:54,160 --> 00:32:01,240 Speaker 1: desalination technology altogether. But whether or not California goes forward 522 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:04,840 Speaker 1: with it, that's right at all. Hinges on the Poseidon 523 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:09,000 Speaker 1: I think it's what they're calling it, what the plant 524 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:12,240 Speaker 1: right for California. But I'm saying, even if that doesn't happen, 525 00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:15,200 Speaker 1: other plants around the world demand that they're there. We 526 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:18,720 Speaker 1: need to make this better. Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, because people 527 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 1: need water, so let's figure out a way to get 528 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 1: it cheaply and with small environmental impact. Okay, that's right, 529 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 1: wasn't there. I think a lot of efforts are being 530 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:34,800 Speaker 1: made to too, um invest in ones like it's sort 531 00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:37,240 Speaker 1: of like the LifeStraw, but not like a gravity fed, 532 00:32:38,440 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 1: family sized desalinator, umstead of these really expensive ones a 533 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:48,160 Speaker 1: huge desalination plant, or do you need like a bunch 534 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:52,120 Speaker 1: of smaller portable desalination units? Yeah, like a unit that 535 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:54,560 Speaker 1: will take care of a village, let's say, in a 536 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:59,600 Speaker 1: developing country. Why not. It's pretty interesting, it is for 537 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:02,760 Speaker 1: some and water has always struck me. It's very interesting. 538 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:05,120 Speaker 1: Every time we do an episode like this, I'm like, man, 539 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:09,040 Speaker 1: this stuff gets me. It's a commodity that is becoming 540 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:11,920 Speaker 1: more scarce, which is scary to think about because it's 541 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:16,920 Speaker 1: such a basic thing that every human needs. Yeah, it's 542 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:19,239 Speaker 1: not like well, I mean, things would go bad if 543 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:22,320 Speaker 1: we ran out of oil too, but it's not like water. Yeah, 544 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:27,520 Speaker 1: I mean like society would collapse and civilization with not 545 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:30,720 Speaker 1: everyone's gonna die directly. Yeah, from a lack of oil. 546 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:35,560 Speaker 1: Will die from murder right over the lack of oil. Uh. 547 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:38,040 Speaker 1: If you want to know more about water, just type 548 00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: that magic word into the search bar how stuff works, 549 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:44,080 Speaker 1: and it will bring up a just a plethora of 550 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:47,320 Speaker 1: really interesting articles. And I said search part in there. 551 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:50,960 Speaker 1: So it's time for a listener man. Yeah, I'm gonna 552 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:55,200 Speaker 1: call this brave, brave email from a young person about depression. 553 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:58,800 Speaker 1: It's really neat. Hey, guys, my name is Brooke and 554 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:02,200 Speaker 1: I'm from Beer Area, Kentucky. Absolutely love your show. I 555 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 1: think you're both extremely and intelligent and inspiring. I don't 556 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:09,640 Speaker 1: know about that. I've learned a lot about various topics 557 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:11,600 Speaker 1: while listening to your show and can't get enough. I 558 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:13,279 Speaker 1: wanted to email you, guys, because I wanted to get 559 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:15,480 Speaker 1: a message out to as many people as I can. 560 00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 1: I am fifteen years old, have been hospitalized three times 561 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:21,759 Speaker 1: for depression. The last time was because I attempted suicide 562 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:27,520 Speaker 1: by overdosing on trisdone. I was aware but hyperventilating when 563 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:29,879 Speaker 1: my mother found me on the bathroom floor, called nine 564 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:32,120 Speaker 1: one one and an ambulance took me to the local hospital. 565 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:34,399 Speaker 1: UH and then I was sent to a facility after 566 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:37,759 Speaker 1: recuperation for depression for a little over a week and 567 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:40,880 Speaker 1: did not get just charged until Christmas Eve. The day 568 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:43,840 Speaker 1: I attempted suicide was the day I turned my life around. 569 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:47,359 Speaker 1: Though since then I've been doing amazing and have come 570 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:50,359 Speaker 1: to the realization that harming myself was not the way 571 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:53,160 Speaker 1: to go. UH. So I wanted to tell anyone and 572 00:34:53,200 --> 00:34:56,960 Speaker 1: everyone that suffers from this kind of depression to know 573 00:34:57,080 --> 00:34:59,280 Speaker 1: that there is hope, and I wanted to start publicly 574 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:03,520 Speaker 1: speaking about experiences so hopefully try and motivate others so 575 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:06,200 Speaker 1: you have the same epiphany I did. I would really 576 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:09,239 Speaker 1: appreciate it if you guys read this on the air 577 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:13,279 Speaker 1: during the podcast. Thank you from Brooke. So Brooke, that 578 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:15,640 Speaker 1: is a very brave thing to do. Yeah, thanks Brooke 579 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:17,760 Speaker 1: as a fifteen year old, and really for any age 580 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:21,719 Speaker 1: to be so forthcoming about your struggle and uh to 581 00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:24,239 Speaker 1: try and help people out. So thanks for that. Yeah, 582 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:27,759 Speaker 1: thank you. Um if you want to send us a 583 00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 1: letter and email, you want to say hi, you want 584 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:34,520 Speaker 1: to share your story, anything, like that, especially if you 585 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:38,239 Speaker 1: think it will help other people. You can tweet to us. 586 00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:41,640 Speaker 1: If it's a really short story at s y ESK podcast. 587 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:44,320 Speaker 1: You can post it on Facebook dot com, slash stuff 588 00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:46,400 Speaker 1: you Should Know. You can send us an email to 589 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:49,880 Speaker 1: Stuff Podcast at how stuff Works dot com, and as always, 590 00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:52,040 Speaker 1: join us at our home on the web, Stuff you 591 00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:59,760 Speaker 1: Should Know dot com For more on this and thousands 592 00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:01,919 Speaker 1: of other or topics. Is it how stuff works dot 593 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 1: com mhm