4 ms·

What can the HN community do to fight the climate crisis?

10 points by waspight 5y ago

PaulHoule 5y ago
Raise $100M, buy an used B767 or similar plane, strip out the seats, fill it with sulfur dioxide tanks, operate it out of an airstrip in the tropics to increase reflectivity of the atmosphere.
- waspight 5y ago
  Does this work?
  - PaulHoule 5y ago
    The scientific literature says it should https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratospheric_aerosol_injection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratospheric_aerosol_injectio... it is not some crazy idea I came up with. The crazy part is doing it. (Personally I want my own B767!)
    - danuker 5y ago
      While I admire the initiative, I am also a bit worried: > Other possible side effects > Ozone depletion: is a potential side effect of sulfur aerosols;[38][39] and these concerns have been supported by modelling.[40]
      - PaulHoule 5y ago
        I don't see it as good from a technological point of view, but I think it's good from a political point of view. Nothing is going to happen on climate change until nations are willing to go to war over it. I see this plan as something like the "Rainbow Warrior" reversed; responsible people should want to stop it, but how can responsible people stop it if they won't take responsibility for the root problem? It's a provocation that might break the impasse and lead to better actions like reopening the canyons at Savannah River to reprocess commercial nuclear waste and developing fast breeder reactors coupled to Brayton cycle turbines.
wmf 5y ago
Lobbying.
cratermoon 5y ago
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27335574 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27335574
failwhaleshark 5y ago
Overall strategy: Bio CCS to address the carbon surplus. Also, curtail anthropogenic GHG pollution with taxes. GM kelp (M. pyrifera) and phytoplankton to grow even faster, automated oceanic farms, and sink material to the deepest trenches. Reaching 280 ppm will require roughly $10-50 teradollars and international cooperation.
brodouevencode 5y ago
First off don’t do rash things. We didn’t get here overnight and we’re not getting out of it overnight. Make measured, well thought out plans. Treat it like you’re developing medical hardware/software.

10 points by waspight 5y ago

Raise $100M, buy an used B767 or similar plane, strip out the seats, fill it with sulfur dioxide tanks, operate it out of an airstrip in the tropics to increase reflectivity of the atmosphere.

waspight 5y ago
Does this work?
- PaulHoule 5y ago
  The scientific literature says it should https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratospheric_aerosol_injection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratospheric_aerosol_injectio... it is not some crazy idea I came up with. The crazy part is doing it. (Personally I want my own B767!)
  - danuker 5y ago
    While I admire the initiative, I am also a bit worried: > Other possible side effects > Ozone depletion: is a potential side effect of sulfur aerosols;[38][39] and these concerns have been supported by modelling.[40]
    - PaulHoule 5y ago
      I don't see it as good from a technological point of view, but I think it's good from a political point of view. Nothing is going to happen on climate change until nations are willing to go to war over it. I see this plan as something like the "Rainbow Warrior" reversed; responsible people should want to stop it, but how can responsible people stop it if they won't take responsibility for the root problem? It's a provocation that might break the impasse and lead to better actions like reopening the canyons at Savannah River to reprocess commercial nuclear waste and developing fast breeder reactors coupled to Brayton cycle turbines.

wmf 5y ago

Lobbying.

cratermoon 5y ago

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27335574 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27335574

failwhaleshark 5y ago

Overall strategy: Bio CCS to address the carbon surplus. Also, curtail anthropogenic GHG pollution with taxes. GM kelp (M. pyrifera) and phytoplankton to grow even faster, automated oceanic farms, and sink material to the deepest trenches. Reaching 280 ppm will require roughly $10-50 teradollars and international cooperation.

brodouevencode 5y ago

First off don’t do rash things. We didn’t get here overnight and we’re not getting out of it overnight. Make measured, well thought out plans. Treat it like you’re developing medical hardware/software.