Desalination is a desperate choice for Santa Barbara, but fortunately it's not necessary. With its huge cost, risk, and climate footprint, it assumes water users put lush landscapes ahead of our children's future. Do we? Let's slow down, take a deep breath, and look at the facts.
Desal adds fuel to the climate fire; climate-friendly landscaping doesn't. The fossil-fuel-fed climate crisis has made this drought the driest on record. Desal's huge power demand, which can't be met by renewables, sharply increases fossil fuel burning. Is it sensible to solve any problem by worsening its cause?
Climate scientists warn that boosting, instead of cutting, our fossil fuel use inflicts increasing droughts, monster storms, rising seas, and global famine on the planet. Economists warn of social, economic, and political chaos. Is maintaining water-intensive landscapes worth leaving this legacy to our children?