Skip to comments.
NASA looks at plan to blot out Sun
The Sydney Morning herald ^
| November 20, 2006
Posted on 11/20/2006 7:58:13 PM PST by chemical_boy
THE idea seems like something out of a Superman comic: a machine or missile shoots tonnes of particles into the atmosphere that would block the Sun's rays, cool down the overheated Earth, and reverse global warming.
But at the weekend scientists gathered in a closed session organised by NASA and Stanford University to discuss researching such a strategy. The idea is called geo-engineering: using technology to tinker with the Earth's delicate climate balance.
Ken Caldeira, a climate scientist at the Carnegie Institution's Department of Global Ecology at Stanford University, said his modelling showed the idea worked. "We found that if you blocked 20 per cent of the sunlight over the Arctic Ocean it would be enough to restore sea ice," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at smh.com.au ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: artbell; dumbideas; globalwarming
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80, 81-94 next last
paging doctor evil
To: chemical_boy
these people can't find a cure for cancer and they're gonna mess with the earth's climate on a global scale? God help us!
2
posted on
11/20/2006 8:01:55 PM PST
by
Cinnamon
To: chemical_boy
They're launching Rosie O'Donnell into space?
3
posted on
11/20/2006 8:02:38 PM PST
by
Defiant
(Dems don't want to lose Iraq, they just want Hillary to win it and then fly onto a carrier.)
To: chemical_boy
it is a simple concept capable with a 15 mile (similar) square mirror, but I would guess capability is limited to no more than several hundred yards square for the present, or actual sky coverage size, if this was / is the question.
4
posted on
11/20/2006 8:05:47 PM PST
by
no-to-illegals
(God Bless Our Men and Women in Uniform, Our Heroes.)
To: chemical_boy
Wouldn't it be fitting if this kludge backfired and plunged the Earth into a new (permanent) ice age? Your tax dollars at work.
5
posted on
11/20/2006 8:06:58 PM PST
by
rbg81
(1)
To: chemical_boy
shoots tonnes of particles into the atmosphere that would block the Sun's rays, cool down the overheated Earth, and reverse global warming. Oh, yeah, this can't go wrong.
To: chemical_boy
Skepticism used to be the bedrock of Science...now its media attention and government grants.
7
posted on
11/20/2006 8:09:08 PM PST
by
crazyhorse691
(The faithful will keep their heads down, their powder dry and hammer at the enemies flanks.)
To: no-to-illegals
it is a simple concept capable with a 15 mile (similar) square mirror, Wouldn't it be cool if a system of mirrors like that could be used to light up large areas on the Earth at night?
To: Paleo Conservative
something of such a scale is only imagined....
never to be???
9
posted on
11/20/2006 8:12:15 PM PST
by
no-to-illegals
(God Bless Our Men and Women in Uniform, Our Heroes.)
To: chemical_boy
I'll sue.
(I need my rays.)
10
posted on
11/20/2006 8:13:02 PM PST
by
NaughtiusMaximus
(Our troops are smart. It's our politicians who are stupid.)
To: chemical_boy
I've got a better idea: Let's nudge an asteroid out of orbit and send it crashing into the Earth. The resulting dust cloud will block the Sun's harmful warmth.
11
posted on
11/20/2006 8:14:09 PM PST
by
Redcloak
(Speak softly and wear a loud shirt.)
To: chemical_boy
The idea is called geo-engineering: using technology to tinker with the Earth's delicate climate balance.Yeah, that'll end well.
If that doesn't work, they can import kudzu for ground cover, cane toads to eat all the bugs, and zebra mussels to clean up all the excess algae.
To: chemical_boy
But... but... I thought the Sun had nothing to do with global warming...
13
posted on
11/20/2006 8:15:36 PM PST
by
mwilli20
To: Paleo Conservative
It would be even cooler if the system of mirrors could be focused so as to fry Osama bin Laden in his cave.
To: Redcloak
No Thanks....
that's a little to drastic for me and have you any idea of the energy it would take to move / change an asteroid's path and trajectory?
Hey NASA Redcloak has a question.....
15
posted on
11/20/2006 8:16:51 PM PST
by
no-to-illegals
(God Bless Our Men and Women in Uniform, Our Heroes.)
To: chemical_boy
I guess the esteemed climatologist forgot to take a basic orbital mechanics class in his undergrad years....
16
posted on
11/20/2006 8:17:30 PM PST
by
r9etb
To: Paleo Conservative
Wouldn't it be cool if a system of mirrors like that could be used to light up large areas on the Earth at night?
I'm by no means an enviropath, but I have to think any mirror reflecting light with the Sun's particular spectrum would play hobb with animals anywhere such a system were employed. Not to mention screwing with human circadian rhythms.
I'm just saying...
17
posted on
11/20/2006 8:17:39 PM PST
by
Dr.Zoidberg
(Mohammedism - Bringing you only the best of the 6th century for fourteen hundred years.)
To: rbg81
18
posted on
11/20/2006 8:19:19 PM PST
by
quikdrw
(Life is tough....it's even tougher if you are stupid.)
To: chemical_boy
Fortunately these nutballs need funding --- Wait! OMG! the algor-san-fran-nan nutballs are in charge now, Heaven help us!
19
posted on
11/20/2006 8:19:44 PM PST
by
citizen
(Bi-Partisan (Dims+Bush) Amnistia coming soon to a nation near you. "We don't need no stinkin' fence")
To: Paleo Conservative
Wouldn't it be cool if a system of mirrors like that could be used to light up large areas on the Earth at night?No, not really. Animals including H. Sapiens get discombobulated when you mess with the balance of day and night, and I already spend more than enough on air conditioning, thanks anyway.
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80, 81-94 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson