I did not mean glass mirrors, just some reflecting or blocking substance. Best, Mike
On 4/28/09 3:55 PM, "dsw_s" <[email protected]> wrote: > > Why mirrors, rather than whatever's cheap, harmless, and opaque? > > On Apr 28, 2:57 pm, Mike MacCracken <[email protected]> wrote: >> Dear Mr. Law: With respect to your suggestion, you need to do some >> background reading: >> >> The 1992 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report did a calculation of what >> would be required for near Earth orbit. Offsetting a full doubling of the >> CO2 concentration would require reducing the incoming solar radiation by >> something like 1.8-2% of the incoming solar radiation. The NAS indicated >> that to limit solar radiation by 1% (so about half the effect of a doubling) >> would take something like having 50,000 orbiting mirrors, each about 10 by >> 10 KILOMETERS in size (so, as they orbited, we¹d have many ongoing, but >> short, mirror-induced eclipses of the Sun). Thin films might well be >> lighter, but would have to be kept in shape by structural materials, and >> many are translucent, so greater area may be needed. >> >> They also reported on a proposal to insert a deflector of solar radiation at >> the L1 point (about 1.6M km toward the Sun), where there is equal >> gravitational pull from the Sun and Earth‹but active management is required >> to keep any object in place. This would require a deflector of radiation >> that was something like 1800 km in diameter, as I recall (most cost >> effectively put in place by building a manufacturing plant on the Moon). >> More recently, Angel has suggested lofting via electronic launcher from the >> Earth¹s surface something like a few trillion parasols, each about .8 meters >> in diameter‹something that would again be quite a large project. >> >> I¹ll leave out issues arising from the energy and environmental effects of >> putting something like this in place‹but suffice it to say that these >> projects would be enormously costly to put in place and would need to be >> sustained for generations, and all they would accomplish is to mean we could >> burn a bit more coal rather than pay the modest extra costs of nuclear, >> renewables, etc. Indeed, if one wants to put so much investment into going >> to space-based activities, it would seem far more plausible (to me) to be >> investing in a space-based contribution to the Earth¹s energy supply (like >> solar-powered satellites that would beam energy to the surface). >> >> Best, Mike MacCracken >> >> On 4/27/09 4:34 AM, "Raymond Law" <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Hi Everybody, >>> >>> I was referred to joining this group with my layman's version of solution to >>> the subject crisis. The solutions that I am outlining below are a ' mixing >>> and matching ' of common knowledge, across a spectrum of existing and >>> commonly >>> used construction products, robotic tools and the use of the space shuttle. >>> And I believe that my suggestion could be the quickest and cheapest >>> solution >>> as of today. And I need everybody in the know to chip in and refine my >>> concepts, e.g., pointing out the problem areas, the weakest links, etc. And >>> also, when, how and where to go next, in the hope of achieving this goal for >>> the benefits of all mankind, ASAP . >>> >>> >>> >> >> _____________________________________________________________________________ >> _> >> _ >> >>> >>> >>> Below is the outline of my concepts in the fast-track solutions in reversing >>> the global warming crisis. And I have to stress that these are only >>> concepts >>> and have yet to be developed furthers. >>> >>> Main points of my Reversing Global Warming Project : >>> >>> 1. The biggest heat source on earth's atmosphere is from the Sun and >>> earth's >>> inner heat pool. Contrary to other believes, carbon dioxide and other green >>> house gases would only affect the quality of our air, storing humidity and >>> altering the reflective/refractive proficiency of solar energy, etc. But >>> they >>> themselves do not generate heat. And if we try to reverse global warming >>> along this route, it would take too long for this route to be really >>> practical. >>> >>> 2. However, with today's technology and resources, mankind can still do >>> nothing in suppressing the heat coming up under our feet ; therefore, the >>> quickest and surest route is to pull a sun shade/blind over earth. >>> >>> 3. With today's knowledge and computer power, and the country's >>> understandings of earth's atmosphere, positioning acres of solar >>> refractive/reflective thin films ( widely used in new buildings' window >>> panes, worldwide and are currently having large volume production in U.S., >>> China and the European Union ) in geo-stationary orbit, or much lower >>> orbits >>> if this visor is only need for a finite period of time, should not present >>> any major problems to the country. . Using mirrors will not be practical in >>> its handling and in its weight to surface area ratio. >>> >>> 4. The average radius of the earth is a known factor, add to it the average >>> height of the geo-stationary or much lower orbits for placing these solar >>> films is also a known factor. Thus, we can easily calculate the total >>> supposed surface area of earth and the hypothetical surface area of the >>> 'enlarged' earth, basing on earth's average radius plus the average >>> height >>> of these orbits for those solar films. >>> >>> 5. Space scientists and geologists should be able to determine the total >>> average 'enlarged' area of earth that are exposed to the Sun, couple that >>> with climatologists computation and putting them all together, they should >>> be >>> able to tell us the existing heat energy input per hour from the Sun's ray >>> hitting earth, non-stop. Because there is always a side of earth facing the >>> Sun. >>> >>> Having computed that solar energy intake per given time, then they >>> should be able to tell us the relevancy of these energy that is directly >>> affecting the warming and cooling of earth. And say, if the earth needs to >>> be >>> cooled down by ' X ' degrees in temperature, consequently, we would need to >>> reduce by how many percent of the Sun's solar energy that might be hitting >>> earth. >>> >>> 6. The refractive/reflective proficiency of all types of solar thin films >>> are of known factors, couple that to the need of reducing the Sun's solar >>> energy in terms of computed quantity, they should be able to categorically >>> determine how many acres of solar films would be needed to blanket earth >>> from >>> the geo-stationary or lower orbit. Again, we have more known factors >>> available. >>> >>> 7. Finally, deploying all these solar films would necessarily be needing >>> the >>> help of the Space Shuttle and some miniature, remotely-controllable >>> robots/jets. These robots/jets, even though simple in designs and >>> construction, would be needed in drawing those solar thin films out of the >>> Space Shuttle's cargo bay and trailing those solar films into the >>> pre-designated orbit/area in space. >>> >>> And after these solar films are ready for retraction, these solar >>> films >>> and miniature robots/jets would serve one more purpose as space trash bags >>> for collecting all those space junks of known and convenient trajectory >>> along >>> these solar films' earth-bound pathways. >>> >>> Naturally, we would still need to conduct thorough studies on the >>> effect >>> of how the extreme temperature-variations in outer space would affect the >>> integrity and performance of those solar films. >>> >>> 8. Care would need to be taken not to over-cool the earth. I have been >>> telling my friends that earth's global warming is a solvable problem. But >>> global cooling on earth is still beyond humans capability and resources >>> availability. The recently unusual cold spells all over the northern >>> hemisphere could be a perfect testimony to mankind's inability to >>> counteract >>> global cooling. >>> >>> 9. Lastly, these solar films must not be positioned over vegetation/green >>> belts and oceans, as the green vegetation in those areas are wholly >>> responsible for the production of the oxygen that mankind survives on. The >>> best locations for positioning these solar thin films would be over the >>> North >>> and South Poles ( this would also help to produce more ice over the poles, >>> if >>> so deemed needed ! ) and over deserts ( this would help to cool down the >>> deserts, albeit a little bit ). >>> >>> Looking forward to hearing from you guys, ASAP ! >>> >>> Raymond Law >>> >> >> > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
