It was a bright and sunny day in Mysticland. Verum, Felix and Scorch crouched near the window and spotted Orak. He was hurriedly making his way back into the dorm. When Orak entered and set his shoes aside, Scorch said, “It is a sight to see Orak travel without his Tempus Machine!”
“The heat outside compels me to take my time-traveler’s machine everywhere. It’s scorch-ing heat outside!” Orak said as he smiled at Scorch.
“This reminds me of an important update,” said Felix. “Last month, California, a state in the western United States, announced that it is investing $20 million to save the water lost because of evaporation from the heat.
“Evaporation?” Scorch asked intently.
“Evaporation is a process when any form of liquid turns into gas. For example, when we hang wet clothes to dry in the sun, the water in the clothes turns into water vapor, thanks to the air or heat,” explained Orak.
“But what is California planning under this plan?” said Verum.
“California has taken inspiration from a research paper that was published in the year 2021. This research was done by scientists at the University of California, Santa Cruz. They found out that solar panels could save 240 billion liters of water every year from evaporating,” Felix said.
“Solar panels? Interesting. What’s the idea of the project,” said Scorch.
“Under this project called Nexus, the state plans to cover irrigation channels with solar panels. Irrigation canals are artificial channels that bring water from the main source, primarily used on agricultural land, and farms. These panels will not only shade the flowing water but also help convert sunlight to electricity,” Felix explained.
“I never imagined that so much water is lost because of evaporation, Felix,” Verum said.
“Yes, it is a critical issue,” replied Felix, “A consistent shortage of water can lead to serious droughts. Droughts are bad as less or no water means fights between nations. California wants to fight the drought-like situation through project Nexus.”
“That is so efficient, Felix. How many people can use the power these solar panels will generate,” asked a curious Scorch.
“Going by the rough calculations, around half of Los Angeles!” Felix replied nodding his head.
“That’s fascinating,” said a beaming Verum.
“Truly, I hope humans keep finding such efficient solutions for all the environmental problems,” said Orak.