Really cool. It uses silver iodide though. How much silver would need to be consumed to make this work? That probably won't be cheap.
China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain
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Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain
#32In other news, in San Francisco, the NIMBYs won an agitation to prevent a 4 school building from being constructed. I am kidding..maybe. In all honestly, I think the time for US to create large scale construction projects that serve humanity (at the expense of environment) are over. We are lucky that the interstates got build in 1950s, that the NYC Subway was formed in late 19th century etc. Today, the regulations an…
I see your point, but I think we have done enough at the expense of the environment. A little more forethought in that area is welcome at least.
Some wild ambitious construction in favour of the environment and humanity would be excellent. But we seem suddenly frugal when that comes up.
It's of course more nuanced than I am about to make it seem, but that world governments are not chomping at the bit to install as much solar as possible is telling. The price is right, but the incumbents are hard to motivate, and for some reason generation of one of our most important, most volatile and most polluting resources is a private market concern.
Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain
#33In other news, in San Francisco, the NIMBYs won an agitation to prevent a 4 school building from being constructed. I am kidding..maybe. In all honestly, I think the time for US to create large scale construction projects that serve humanity (at the expense of environment) are over. We are lucky that the interstates got build in 1950s, that the NYC Subway was formed in late 19th century etc. Today, the regulations an…
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Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain
#34The potential environmental impact of loads of silver iodide on human and other animal life is of concern. But it is China, so they probably don't care about that aspect.
So far we have made a mess of the climate without trying to. Is it really a good idea to start messing with these systems?
Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
Really? Because most of the moisture originated from the oceans in the first place. Are you saying that after genesis, it travels for some time over land before being deposited back in an ocean?
provided no other variables... considering it's 71% of the area of the planet, I'd say it's 71% likely to rain on the ocean
That sounds kind of shortsighted reasoning.
I know that in Scotland most of the weather comes from the West, hits the mountains and falls as rain. Its dryer on the east coast (though it still rains plenty).
Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain
#36MIT figured out fusion this month, water shortages are on the verge of being solved since water is not scarce, just dirty/salty - it's an energy problem.
Really as I though such an achievement would have gathered a lot of press attention. It could literally "save the planet". All I saw in the news was Kardashians.
Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think the recent 200GW solar power deal between Saudi Arabia and SoftBank has more potential to solve desalination problems than Fusion (at least over the medium term).
That too, although solar still has relatively high costs per watt. Fusion can make energy nearly free.
No, fusion wont make energy nearly free.
Let's pretend a fusion plant is completely free to build, maintain, operate, and decommission.
50% of the cost of electricity is from transmission and distribution. Those costs aren't going anywhere.
So at most, you'll get a 50% savings. But you're not getting that either, because that fusion plant definitely wont be free.
Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain
#38The potential environmental impact of loads of silver iodide on human and other animal life is of concern. But it is China, so they probably don't care about that aspect.
So far we have made a mess of the climate without trying to. Is it really a good idea to start messing with these systems?
That's a good question. Messing with weather may cause all sorts of unintentional second-order effects
Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
That too, although solar still has relatively high costs per watt. Fusion can make energy nearly free.
No, fusion wont make energy nearly free. Let's pretend a fusion plant is completely free to build, maintain, operate, and decommission. 50% of the cost of electricity is from transmission and distribution. Those costs aren't going anywhere. So at most, you'll get a 50% savings. But you're not getting that either, because that fusion plant definitely wont be free.
For the purported usage (desalination) distribution is not an issue. But obviously fusion generated electricity won't be free, though marginal cost of production may approach that (if it ever becomes a reality).
Re: China Is Building a Rain-Making System Three Times as Big as Spain
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
That too, although solar still has relatively high costs per watt. Fusion can make energy nearly free.
No, fusion wont make energy nearly free. Let's pretend a fusion plant is completely free to build, maintain, operate, and decommission. 50% of the cost of electricity is from transmission and distribution. Those costs aren't going anywhere. So at most, you'll get a 50% savings. But you're not getting that either, because that fusion plant definitely wont be free.
Yes, fusion will make energy nearly free.
Fusion reactors are mechanically simple and safe and can be made in tiny form factors, including engines. They are predicting container-sized "plants" that can power hundreds of thousands of homes. Fusion will heavily decentralize the grid (partially because of transmission costs).
Nothing is totally free of course, but fusion can do for energy what the internet did for distribution, which we can round to having made it free.