I think this post does a pretty good job of addressing why the thought experiment will remain in the realm of science fiction.
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/rockyplanet/2017/08/31/225...
NASA's plan to save Earth from a supervolcano
41–50 of 114 posts
Re: NASA's plan to save Earth from a supervolcano
#42Unfortunately, any project to drain the supervolcano's energy will meet with immense resistance from various groups of humans with limited intelligence who don't realize its power and the extinction-level destruction its explosion will cause. The article lists at least two ways of safely extracting the supervolcano's power without risking the triggering of an explosion, but this won't be enough to convince the idioti…
So it's limited intelligence to read an article that states "But drilling into a supervolcano does not come without certain risks. Namely triggering the eruption you’re intending to prevent."? They state that it could cause an eruption, yes they have an idea for how to minimize the risk but that doesn't mean no risk. As much as we may not like it, some people don't like taking risks at all. They'd rather do nothing and take their chances than take a risk.
Re: NASA's plan to save Earth from a supervolcano
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
Wait, did you just claim centrally planned projects are disasters, and propose to use nationwide highway/pipeline network instead?
Yes! The subtle point being that our pipelines/highways already exist, and I'd love to shove something besides oil down the pipelines.
... but Interstates did not exist a couple generations ago. They were a planned project, carried out recently enough that many of us still remember when they were not done yet. That project was started in the 50s, and completed in 1992.
Re: NASA's plan to save Earth from a supervolcano
#44BBC.com as of late has been turning into Clickbait.com
Re: NASA's plan to save Earth from a supervolcano
#45How about we actually do something like increase the reserve food supply from more than 72 days? Yellowstone is not the only potential source of disruption to the food supply and right now if anything happens in the northern summer we are totally screwed.
Re: NASA's plan to save Earth from a supervolcano
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm ignorant, what does phase change have to do with energy storage?
Matter phase changes either require or release energy. For example, liquifying ice requires energy (which is why ice makes your drink cold when it melts), and the energy used to transform liquid water into steam can be reclaimed as useful work in steam engines. Phase change is one potential storage mechanism for, say, excess electricity production.
I hadn't thought of that. Thanks!
Maybe someday we'll have steam pipelines instead of gas pipelines?
Re: NASA's plan to save Earth from a supervolcano
#47How about we actually do something like increase the reserve food supply from more than 72 days? Yellowstone is not the only potential source of disruption to the food supply and right now if anything happens in the northern summer we are totally screwed.
Or similarly, try to reduce the population enough so that we are not constantly on the razor edge of famine.
Re: NASA's plan to save Earth from a supervolcano
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
Matter phase changes either require or release energy. For example, liquifying ice requires energy (which is why ice makes your drink cold when it melts), and the energy used to transform liquid water into steam can be reclaimed as useful work in steam engines. Phase change is one potential storage mechanism for, say, excess electricity production.
I hadn't thought of that. Thanks! Maybe someday we'll have steam pipelines instead of gas pipelines?
It comes down to efficiency of transfer. I've heard of steam being used for power in machine shops and for heat in cities. I doubt the efficiencies make sense over much distance.
I used water as only an example. I don't think steam is generally thought of in terms of energy storage.
Re: NASA's plan to save Earth from a supervolcano
#49The other problem not mentioned: Yellowstone is the middle of fricken nowhere. Electricity is hard to send long distances and central planning projects have shown to be their own disasters time-and-time again through history. "This time around though" we have more established population centers so maybe we can pull it off? Not sure! If the power could be produced cheap enough, it might pay off to maintain the massive…
We know how to transmit power over long distance with 10-15% loss.
Re: NASA's plan to save Earth from a supervolcano
#50The idea of any group of humans "saving the Earth" is neighbouring on hubris. It's fine for the plot line of a Hollywood movie, but pragmatically we can't even engage in civil discourse anymore. Tampering with systems like plate tectonic without the ability to even predict the effects of oil shale fracking means we still have a lot to learn. If the concern of the Earth being wiped out is legitimate, then focus instea…
Achieving the technology required to colonize space would also allow us to maintain our existence on Earth.
Exactly my point.