Do you want salt with that?

By
The question came up when I was talking to the guy who drives trucks from Spain to Doha, carrying cables, then sells the trucks locally before flying home. Normally, long distance truckers might expect to carry a different load on the return leg, but not from Doha, where nothing is manufactured. On the other hand, they do need a lot of trucks for the construction projects, so it makes sense. But is it true that Qatar manufactures nothing? The huge desalination plants must produce a lot more salt than can be used domestically, so where does it go? Surely not back into the sea? It takes a shed load of energy to desalinate seawater, so it doesn't make sense to think of the salt as a mere byproduct. Maybe someone in the know can enlighten me - exactly what does happen to all that salt? I could read up about desalination of course, but it's far more fun just to wonder for a while.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thick Escorts, Anyone?

By
The other day, I received a spam comment which made me laugh. I've deleted the links to sanitise it. It is very much the usual rubbish, but ends spectacularly badly, even for spam. See if you agree. We encourage you to peruse through our gallery and be dazzled by the beauty of the beautiful girls on Qatar Escorts. Whether you are interested in hiring one for companion, dinner in an intimate Qatar restaurant, you have come to the right site. What’s more, we have the best girls to accompany you to that corporate function. We have girls that will be on your side for that special occasion and also help you have a real time during a lively night out in doha. We happily accommodate requests for extended visits; we work with a team of elite escorts who make the best travel companions allowing you to make weekend plans in and out of Qatar. Pick an escort from our Doha Escorts gallery, and she will cater to your diverse tastes. We have girls of all sizes and looks. From thin, small bre
Read more

The Gorilla and the Three Bells

By
Image
The Gorilla and the Three Bells is a serendipitous fusion of the lyric of Brother Gorilla by Jake Thackray and the original French melody Les Trois Cloches. (Les Trois Cloches is the song that was very loosely translated to become The Three Bells or Little Jimmy Brown). Of course, just because it is possible to fit Jake's lyric to that tune doesn't make it a good idea, but I had to get it out of my system.
Read more

Let's get ACTIVE

By
Image
  The triode was invented in 1906 by  Lee De Forest and by around 1920 was refined enough to be commercially viable for widespread distribution. It  was the World's first 'Active Device'. It could amplify and oscillate. It (and its derivatives) made possible all of the technologies of modernity – public address, radio, audio/video recording, television, radar, radio telescopy, electron microscopy, computing, the Internet, artificial intelligence. Without active devices, modernity would vanish in a flash. Those who really want to turn the clock back need only abandon science, technology and education. Nature will do the rest.
Read more

Delia Gone

By
Image
Delia Gone was originally recorded by Burl Ives and famously covered by Johnny Cash. The lyric I'm singing here was recorded in the 50s by Acker Bilk and is not nearly as bleak as the Ives/Cash version. In fact, with the Dixieland chords, it almost ends up jolly... for a tale of murder.
Read more