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Maybe. There are two viable routes that I can imagine. The first, the article doesn't touch on too much -- environmental engineering. There have been a handful

by sargun 10y ago

Maybe. There are two viable routes that I can imagine. The first, the article doesn't touch on too much -- environmental engineering. There have been a handful of ideas to reduce or reverse the effects of global warming using engineered solutions. Examples include such ideas as taking Sulphur Dioxide and putting it into the upper atmosphere (https://www.technologyreview.com/s/511016/a-cheap-and-easy-plan-to-stop-global-warming/ https://www.technologyreview.com/s/511016/a-cheap-and-easy-p...). Another idea, that was invented by Bill Gates' friend Paul Allen, includes building ultra tall chimneys in order to vent opaque soot into the upper atmosphere. The other side of this is that there is a belief we can come up with technologies that are significantly greener without a significant downside in price or performance.

ako 10y ago
Combination of these two on a large scale might me interesting: * creating energy from filtering co2 out of the air, http://www.sciencealert.com/a-canadian-start-up-is-removing-co2-from-the-air-and-turning-it-into-pellets http://www.sciencealert.com/a-canadian-start-up-is-removing-... * turning salt water into fresh water, http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-are-turning-salt-water-into-drinking-water-using-solar-power http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-are-turning-salt-wate... A energy neutral way of irrigating desert (Sahara , large part of California), reducing sea levels, and reducing co2 levels in the air.
- 2sk21 10y ago
  In a similar vein, one idea that has often crossed my mind (and offered free to any taker): In most tropical coastal areas, there is an abundance of both humidity and sunlight. So why not use large banks of solar powered dehumidifiers to extract moisture from the air as water?
- DennisP 10y ago
  It's possible to create fuel by filtering CO2 from the air, but the filtering process requires energy, and so does converting the CO2 into fuel. We'd need to use an abundant carbon-free energy source, like solar or advanced nuclear. I still think it's a great idea, as a backup plan for carbon-neutral transportation in case electric vehicles don't take over the world in the near future.

by sargun 10y ago

ako 10y ago

Combination of these two on a large scale might me interesting: * creating energy from filtering co2 out of the air, http://www.sciencealert.com/a-canadian-start-up-is-removing-co2-from-the-air-and-turning-it-into-pellets http://www.sciencealert.com/a-canadian-start-up-is-removing-... * turning salt water into fresh water, http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-are-turning-salt-water-into-drinking-water-using-solar-power http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-are-turning-salt-wate... A energy neutral way of irrigating desert (Sahara , large part of California), reducing sea levels, and reducing co2 levels in the air.

2sk21 10y ago
In a similar vein, one idea that has often crossed my mind (and offered free to any taker): In most tropical coastal areas, there is an abundance of both humidity and sunlight. So why not use large banks of solar powered dehumidifiers to extract moisture from the air as water?
DennisP 10y ago
It's possible to create fuel by filtering CO2 from the air, but the filtering process requires energy, and so does converting the CO2 into fuel. We'd need to use an abundant carbon-free energy source, like solar or advanced nuclear. I still think it's a great idea, as a backup plan for carbon-neutral transportation in case electric vehicles don't take over the world in the near future.