Special Encore Presentation: California's Drought and Seawater Desalination

For California, 2013 was the driest calendar year ever recorded across virtually the entire state. On January 17, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown proclaimed the drought to be a State of Emergency, directed state officials to take all necessary actions to assist the hardest hit communities, and called for all Californians to pitch in to reduce water use by 20 percent. While CA agencies and experts have clearly identified those actions best suited to provide relief, some observers wonder whether the long-term answer to California's drought lies in the ocean through the promotion of seawater desalination. On today's episode, we'll explore an overview of the science and policy related to seawater desalination and demonstrates why this option is generally the least promising option for drought relief.