clonan wrote: Instead why not just build a solar shade...Let most of the light through, reflect enough to keep the temp stable and transmit some down to the planet for power...
Exactly. Gaia made humanity to develop great solutions like this to the over-heating problem that results from have no more CO2 to sequester. If she sequesters any more, the plants won't do well. If she doesn't, we become another Venus, run away greenhouse. Thus, humans, to put shades in space to allow more CO2 without overheating.
clonan wrote: Instead why not just build a solar shade...Let most of the light through, reflect enough to keep the temp stable and transmit some down to the planet for power...
Exactly. Gaia made humanity to develop great solutions like this to the over-heating problem that results from have no more CO2 to sequester. If she sequesters any more, the plants won't do well. If she doesn't, we become another Venus, run away greenhouse. Thus, humans, to put shades in space to allow more CO2 without overheating.
the best natural solar shade is called sulphur dioxide (almost as good as daytime high altitude clouds, without the issue of clouds trapping heat at night). Unfortunately, the gummint has decided that sulphur dioxide is a pollutant and banned its emissions from the economy beyond miniscule amounts. If we went back to the SO2 emissions levels of the 1960's we could really reduce the insolation and get back on the path to ice age they were predicting in the 70's.
