Shade Balls
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You are currently reading a thread in /g/ - Technology
Our solution to the California drought: Shade Balls http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Shade-balls-a-not-so-bright-solution-to-6456279.php. Is this the best we can do?
"Plastic balls, that'll learn that water to keep it from vaporatin' "
shouldn't they be white to reflect the sun
Solution is gay, balls are touchin
>>52034749
nah, that wouldn't be retarded enough
>>52034733
>paywall
>>52034812
This is what adblock has brought us to.
>>52034749
>>52034809
The shade balls used in the Los Angeles project are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with carbon black additive to protect the plastic from ultraviolet radiation.
>>52034733
idiot read the article.
>Los Angeles covered a reservoir with “shade balls” to prevent algae blooms.
hardly a new idea, they did this back in 2008
>"The water needs to be shaded because when sunlight mixes with the bromide and chlorine in Ivanhoe's water, the carcinogen bromate forms, said Pankaj Parekh, DWP's director for water quality compliance. Bromide is naturally present in groundwater and chlorine is used to kill bacteria, he said, but sunlight is the final ingredient in the potentially harmful mix.
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/10/local/me-balls10
Also the balls are very cheap only 36 cents each.
>>52034733
This is old and not relevant anymore
Actually yes, plastic balls do slow the rate of evaporation. Think about it, it reduces the amount of air:water contact.
>>52034819
>Implying "news" sites didn't have paywalls before addblock
Underage GTFO
>google cache to the rescue
Why not use Subterranean reservoirs?
No sunlight, no bacterial growth, no evaporation, no trailings getting in, making the purification process that much easier and cheaper?
>>52034749
White plastic will reflect sunlight into the water. The black plastic provides more shade and less algae growth.
I'm a water engineer
>>52034956
i kek'd. but true
>>52034956
>water engineer
This sounds like a real thing, but I'm not sure.
>>52034733
Isnt this a idea from 2011?
>>52034938
how do you screen cap the whole page?
>>52035124
In firefox press shift+F2 to open the console
then enter Screenshot --fullpage
>>52035124
not op, but I use screenshot --fullpage in firecuck
>>52034956
Get a load of this Professional Dihydrogen Monoxide Technician
>>52034733
How would that benefit me? We have plenty of water around here and we get a healthy balance of rain and sunshine.
People just need to stop living in the desert.
>>52035139
>>52035155
neat, thanks guys
>>52034893
>Very cheap
> 36 cents each
There's millions of them!
>>52034749
the oppressive white balls are always forcing the black balls to work in the hot field
>>52034819
>>52034733
I live in California and I'm scared of them.
Shit nigga I saw The Incredibles once so I don't trust those little shits.
>>52035286
and the alternative solutions cost hundreds of millions of dollars, read the article stupid
>Each ball costs only 36 cents, making it a cheaper solution than alternatives such as dividing the reservoir into two parts with a dam and installing floating covers, which would cost more than $300 million.
>>52034944
how is the sunny state of california going to employ all those ball-throwing illegal aliens then?
>>52035410
Except that the partition and a damn is a one-time expense. Whereas these balls must be reployed or even replaced en-mass.
People are always scared of the big up-front cost, so they go full retard and do the less expensive, less effective solution and continue doing so until it becomes more expensive than the alternative.
These balls sound like a panic solution. Something that should be deployed in a state where a draught rarely or never happens.
Somewhere like California, reservoirs should be constructed properly and in a manner that makes them ideal for storing water in draughts.
>>52035420
Send them to iraq. to throw the balls at the terrorists :^)
>sign in to read article
fuck you and your website, OP
>Grow almonds and oranges in the desert
>Surprised when you run out of water
>>52035447
you're talking as if the floating covers will last for ever.
I'm sure the city did the math and found the balls to be a better alternative.
>According to a Bloomberg article, the balls are coated in chemicals to block UV light, are not degradable and are designed to last up to 25 years.
96 million balls that cost 34.5million VS 300m for a cover, about 8.5 times cheaper.
8.5 x 25 years = 200+ years for your maintenance free cover to come out ahead of the ball solution.
>>52034938
I thought this was a news story, not an editorial.
Fuck off with your opinion bitch.
>be an american
>do american things
>wonder why everything fucks up
>>52034956
I am also a water engineer... Or doing my master thesis on wastewater treatment at the moment.
>>52035447
t. Water Engineer
>>52034733
Nuclear Power plants with sea water to drinking water convertor plants.
What are the risks of these balls leaking estrogen into the water, or is this a wanted side effect for the tranny population in California?
>>52035988
550%
It's confirmed the entire population of California will be genetically female by 2020.
