Having experienced a drought scare and having been a few weeks away from water being shut off and having to go stand in line and have the government and police hand out water, this would be amazing for us here in South Africa.

[–] Fizz@lemmy.nz 4 points 10 months ago (4 children)

But doesn't that produce salty brine that fucks up our ocean?

[–] Stoneykins@mander.xyz 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

The brine is a thing that needs handled, but there are ways to handle it.

Unfortunately it is the kind of thing where the best solutions, like drying it and storing the salts, or pumping it underground, are expensive (and therefore hard to convince anyone to use), and the cheap solutions, like just dumping it back in the ocean, can have severe negative effects, like killing everything in the water around where it is dumped.

Edit to add: although looking at this, depending on how they actually build it, it might sort of just turn ocean water into brine on the spot as it removes water. That would be basically like dumping it bqck in the ocean as far as effects, and doesn't seem ideal

[–] pineapplelover@lemm.ee 9 points 10 months ago

Nah we can use it to sell "sea salt"

[–] Draghetta@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

Isn’t that why good god gave us deserts? To build Salt Hill 8210 within the next two decades?

[–] Deceptichum@kbin.social 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Could we take enough water out of the ocean for the salt balance to be affected?

[–] filcuk@lemmy.zip 15 points 10 months ago

Seriously doubt that. All water ends up in the ocean anyway, one way or another.
But dumping brine in could wipe the life in that spot.