Could we, in theory, use something like CRISPR to give a new baby replacement super-kidneys (or whatever organ it is that makes drinking saltwater be a bad time)? It seems like if we cracked that, we’d be set as a species.

Thanks for your time.

  • arthur@lemmy.zip
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    1 year ago

    If we grow some crop with salt water, we will be literally salting the earth, so unless we are talking about hydroponics/aquaponics, that would be very damaging for the soil and environment. That needs to be consider as well.

      • Spzi@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        It’s a good point, but desalination has the same issue. Whenever you use seawater to produce something with almost no salt in it (be it desalinated water or crops), that means the salt has to go somewhere else. Probably in concentrated form.

        Desalination may not salt the earth, but brine can create dead zones in the water. There are solutions like diluting it, and there are cases of operators who don’t care. Either way, salt is an issue if you use salt water. Has to go somewhere.

          • Spzi@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            There are better ways to do this. Examples:

            1. Desalination plant provides town with fresh water
            2. Town’s waste water is treated before going back into the ocean
            3. Brine gets diluted into that treated stream

            In theory, this could give and take the same amount of salt water to and from the ocean, while still providing desalinated water for use.

            Another way to dilute brine is to add it to the ocean in small bits in multiple locations, so neither location exceeds a certain salt concentration.