Why not a huge electromagnet that's solar powered? Plenty of metal pieces could be attracted and collected in it's wake. Give it enough time and we'll have a pretty ring around the earth to marvel at.
I'm guessing that iron makes up a minimal portion of what's up there.
Man-made stuff, that is.
If there was real global warming, solar powered or otherwise, the atmosphere would have expanded a bit, and creating additional drag on the closer stuff, bringing it down sooner.
Satellites are not typically made of ferrous metals. Magnets would not attract them.