The
wildfires in southern California have become endemic. Each year
thousands of brave firefighters risk life and limb to combat these
blazes which ravage thousands of acres, destroying hundreds of homes,
and costing both California residents and insurance consumers nationwide
billions of dollars annually.
Does this situation have to exist, and
will it get worse as one of the long term consequences of a warming
planet?
We propose a series of INDRA evaporation projects, each costing a
fraction of the annual costs already incurring each year, that will
effectively mitigate this
horror. |
We propose three evaporation projects to combat the historic wildfire
sites. At each of these sites 1 or more dual channel systems,
(including one closed pipe channel, and a wide evaporation optimized
channels) will be constructed from the ocean, terminating in a salt
marsh.
The evaporation channels will be lined with a dark uneven
water-swell-able clay (possibly combined with some synthetic zeolites to
aid generating a salt isolation layer), and where
evaporation is desirable the seawater will travel at shallow depths (3-6
inches) to
facilitate maximum solar powered evaporation.
The channels will also feature evaporation
appliances, such as misting jets, wind powered aerators, and drops where feasible.
Elevations will be via clay pipes, and powered by clean energy sources
such as wind, solar or gravity.
The objective of each of these projects will be to allow local
authorities to ensure sufficient average rainfall in the region. Average
rainfall will be effectively manipulated by dynamically facilitating
increased evaporation, of hundreds of thousands of gallons of seawater
daily through specific regions, or restricting the same.
The technology is very simple, and therefore both relatively
inexpensive to build, and easy to maintain. The channel
construction, not considering elevations, will primarily consist
of right-of-way solutions, grading, lining, and seeding of a
riparian zone on each side. Maintenance will consist of equipment
maintenance, (pumps, gates, generators, etc.), and periodic channel
surfacing, grading, and salt remediation.
The goal of each project will be to provide regional authorities with
the ability to maintain optimal average rainfall rates on a seasonal
basis. The benefits of the program will include;
- Reduction of wildfires:
- General drought reduction:
- Management of rain based irrigation:
- Replenishment of groundwater sources:
- Increased biodiversity of interior regions:
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
The California wildfires have become
a constant reality, no longer a seasonal phenomena. We
are promoting an INDRA evaporation project, that will increase the
average rainfall in this region by approximately 23%. This
increase will be sufficient to minimize the risk of both natural and
human caused wildfires within 2 years of implementation.
Background: Wikipedia:
The October 2007
California wildfires were a series of
wildfires that began burning across
Southern California on
October 20. At least 1,500 homes were destroyed[7]
and over 500,000 acres (2,000 km˛, or about 770 mi˛) of
land burned from
Santa Barbara County to the
U.S.–Mexico border. Nine people died as a direct
result of the fire;[8]
85 others were injured, including at least 61
firefighters.[9]
California Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a
state of emergency in seven California counties
where fires were burning.[10]
President
George W. Bush concurred, and ordered federal aid to
supplement state and local response efforts.[11]
Over 6,000 firefighters worked to fight the blazes; they
were aided by units of the
United States Armed Forces,[12]
United States National Guard,[13]
almost 3,000 prisoners convicted of non-violent crimes,[14]
and 60 firefighters from the Mexican cities of
Tijuana and
Tecate.[15]
Major
contributing factors to the extreme fire conditions were
drought in Southern California, hot weather, and
unusually strong
Santa Ana winds with gusts reaching 85
mph (140
km/h).[16]
The fires had
numerous sources. Several were triggered by power lines
damaged by the high winds.[17]
[18] One fire
started when a
semi-truck overturned.[19]
Another was suspected as having been deliberately
caused; the suspect was shot and killed at the flight by
state authorities.[20]
A 10-year-old boy admitted that he accidentally started
the Buckweed Fire playing with matches.[21]
Causes of the remaining fires remain under
investigation. The last fire was fully contained on
November 9, 2007, 19 days after the series of fires
started.[22]
The program costs are estimated at;
Initial costs: reports proposed by 8/25/10
- Right of way solutions:
- Channel construction: Materials and Labor
- Pump and general equipment purchases :
- Salt marsh construction: $10K-100K per acre (Louis Berger
and Associates 1997)
- Litigation:
Maintenance costs:
- System management and administration :
- Channel maintenance:
- Equipment maintenance:
- Litigation:
Funding sources:
Federal:
- National Marine Fisheries Service
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Corps of Engineers
- US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Commercial sources:
- Carbon trading
- Real estate developers
- Agricultural cooperatives
These projects will build a base of the longer term Great Basin and
Mohave de-desertification projects.
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