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Solving climate change by abusing thermodynamic scaling laws

ckrapu.github.io

21–30 of 178 posts

Re: Solving climate change by abusing thermodynamic scaling laws

#21
post #9

The globe is mostly water. Ocean fertilization make a lot more sense than this for a whole bunch of reasons. The inter-continental sea floor automatically freezes all carbon that goes down there most of it is stored as methane. Just need a fleet of nuclear powered fertilizer ships to kick it off hopefully you get more fish as a result. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_fertilization

No need for fertilizer ships.

The delivery of material to the center of Ocean vertices is essentially free. Any floating body winds up there eventually

I wrote about it here: https://noverloop.substack.com/p/how-to-leverage-the-plastic...

Re: Solving climate change by abusing thermodynamic scaling laws

#22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's not enough useful demand to tame CO2 this way. Anthropogenic emissions of CO2 are currently about 37 billion tons per year: https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions That's enough CO2 to make 22.7 billion metric tons of cellulose per year, or ~2.8 tons per capita for Earth's 8.2 billion people. That's too much to to turn it all into furniture or even buildings.

Maybe horizontal surfaces too? Like roads and pavements? Let's become industrial elves.

Didn't there used to be a "Pave the Earth" meme ? Maybe update it for log roads.

Re: Solving climate change by abusing thermodynamic scaling laws

#23

This year ie 2024 world will add more solar power than the total consumption growth. This is despite the tariffs and sanctions on Chinese panels and batteries. I think the world is at the cusp of dramatic change that would come faster if not for western countries trying to protect their industries. I think adding more renewables as fast as possible specially solar is the best option as this will make essentially ener…

there was a quote, and I can't remember exactly so I paraphrase: "the person who creates a new form of energy for the world, without creating an equivalent heatsink, would be history's greatest monster", although I suppose that is very perfect being the enemy of the good.

Re: Solving climate change by abusing thermodynamic scaling laws

#25

This year ie 2024 world will add more solar power than the total consumption growth. This is despite the tariffs and sanctions on Chinese panels and batteries. I think the world is at the cusp of dramatic change that would come faster if not for western countries trying to protect their industries. I think adding more renewables as fast as possible specially solar is the best option as this will make essentially ener…

there was a quote, and I can't remember exactly so I paraphrase: "the person who creates a new form of energy for the world, without creating an equivalent heatsink, would be history's greatest monster", although I suppose that is very perfect being the enemy of the good.

I don't think that is "very perfect being the enemy of the good" at all. Any new energy source (like fusion) would be a very real threat to mankind, see also https://dothemath.ucsd.edu/2012/04/economist-meets-physicist...

Re: Solving climate change by abusing thermodynamic scaling laws

#26

This year ie 2024 world will add more solar power than the total consumption growth. This is despite the tariffs and sanctions on Chinese panels and batteries. I think the world is at the cusp of dramatic change that would come faster if not for western countries trying to protect their industries. I think adding more renewables as fast as possible specially solar is the best option as this will make essentially ener…

there was a quote, and I can't remember exactly so I paraphrase: "the person who creates a new form of energy for the world, without creating an equivalent heatsink, would be history's greatest monster", although I suppose that is very perfect being the enemy of the good.

Isn’t this why solar is good. We already have the heat sink (earth) we just aren’t using the energy.

Re: Solving climate change by abusing thermodynamic scaling laws

#27
post #24

Nice idea, but the climate crisis is not solved with technology (we already know and have everything we need) but by politics and changing our consumption habits.

People don’t want to change consumption habits and they aren’t going to vote for politicians who want to change consumption habits, so technology is the only hope.

Re: Solving climate change by abusing thermodynamic scaling laws

#29

Methane and nitrous oxide emissions from these piles would likely be rather high, potentially negating any carbon sequestration benefits

Methane would be extremeley high. The core of the pile might be frozen, but the unfrozen region would be anoxic and decomposing.
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