While it's easy to pigeonhole water supply and distribution as a third world issue, as any fan of the movie Chinatown can tell you, the United States is no stranger to water shortages.  Just last year, a dry spring crippled the water supply across much of the American South.

This summer, debate has raged in the desert cities of Southern California as demand for water continues to overstress the supply.  While conservation efforts have mitigated shortages, a new desalinization plant named Poseidon has been approved to fill the gap.

While traditional desalinization plants have been less than environmentally friendly, polluting waters and producing massive amounts of carbon, the new plant looks to mitigate its impacts through a variety of innovative measures. Rather than actively pumping water in from the ocean, it absorbs it passively through osmosis. Additionally, Poseideon uses solar power and energy recovery systems to limit its carbon emissions.

While some sea life will still be killed by the water intake process, the damage is not expected to make even a dent in massive biodiversity of the Pacific Ocean. Eco-friendly industry like the Poseidon plant sets an important example for green projects nationwide while improving water safety and availability.