Finally, desalination is an energy-intensive process, so Poseidon will purchase carbon offsets for the difference in energy between pumping the equivalent amount of water in from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the amount needed for desalination. This is also controversial, because introducing new water from the desalination plant may not actually reduce the amount of water taken from the Delta. "The problem is, well, maybe people are going to want to do both," Graham noted. "That's the whole issue of growth." "We clearly have an emerging water crisis here in California," said Scripps oceanographer Scott Jenkins, who also consulted with Poseidon. "Excessive requirements for mitigation could render these plants infeasible. It's a fine line between avoiding a water crisis versus coming up with a rational balance of protection for the environment." Coming up with realistic regulations for such plants now, Graham and Jenkins argue, will make it easier to construct environmentally appropriate plants down the line as the water crisis deepens. "When we get into emergency situations, it's easy to suspend the normal rules that apply," Graham added. "We quickly get into a situation where we're making a decision to solve a problem without thinking about the long-term effects." Gonzales disagrees and Heather Cooley of the Pacific Institute in Oakland argues it's not yet time to cede conservation-minded restrictions. "My sense is that in California there are still a lot of other alternatives at lower cost with fewer environmental impacts," said Cooley. "We have made some progress on water conservation and efficiency, but we still have a long way to go." Recovering storm water and recycling municipal water for non-potable or potable use are other options, she noted. The controversey around the Poseidon plant may be an emblem of what's to come. Cooley notes that there are 17 other proposed desalination plants in California and, as she said, "Many have been waiting to see what happens with this plant." Related Links: Jessica Marshall's blog: EnvironMental Case The Carlbad Desalination Project |
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