Beam me to Planet Gore !
Posted on 09/02/2011 7:43:41 AM PDT by Red Badger
In what to some might seem almost ludicrous, (think Dr. Stranglove,) a British team of geo-engineers are set to launch a giant balloon a half mile into the sky pulling with it a water hose that will then spray water pumped from the ground, into the air. But this is only the beginning; the idea is to see if such a system is feasible. The real goal is to see if it might be possible to send such a giant balloon much higher, say twice as high as airplanes fly, so as to release aerosols into the atmosphere to mimic the impact volcanoes have when they erupt. That is to cause a planetary cooling effect, to offset the warming effect of all the carbon emissions still being pumped full time into air. And that’s not all, the project dubbed Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engineering (SPICE), is being backed by the British government, via the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
Most would agree that we do have a problem on our hands, the Earth is slowly growing warmer, threatening water and food supplies, if not eventually our very existence. Many question however, the wisdom of pumping aerosols into the atmosphere to reflect some of the sun’s heat back into space, rather than simply figuring out a way to stop adding more carbon emissions.
The initial test of the plan is slated to be carried out next month in an undisclosed location. There the team will send up a smaller version of the eventual behemoth, somewhere around two thirds of a mile (about a kilometer) high. In this test, nothing but water will be squirted into the air, though some suggest they might also try something called low-level cloud whitening, which is where sea salt would be pumped up and then dispersed into the air to increase the reflectivity of clouds.
If successful, the team would then set to work in constructing the actual product, a balloon that some say would have to be as big as Wembley stadium and would weigh as much as several double-decker busses (this is a British project after all). Then, the balloon would be sent aloft to a height of twelve miles or so (20 kilometers) carrying with it something akin to a very long garden hose. Once up, a mixture of sulphates and/or aerosols would be pumped up the hose and then into the air, which would then, theoretically start reflecting heat back out into space; saving us all in the process.
If the mechanics of the project do eventually work as planned, there will likely be much debate about actually carrying out its mission, as some will undoubtedly be very much against carrying out a mission where no one really knows what might happen.
At 60,000 feet, as they propose, the pressure is 26,000 psi.
That’s about half the pressure of the chamber of a 50 BMG rifle at the peak firing pressure.
An ordinary carwash pump developes over 2,000 psi, enough for 3/4 mile or more.
The ballons will be destroyed by weather and the theory of AGW is crap! It is a scam and a hoaxl to fleece the makers and pay the moochers.
a giant balloon a half mile into the sky pulling with it a water hose that will then spray water pumped from the ground, into the airThat would have to be A) some freakin' strong hose, B) some big-assed balloon , and C) some powerful freakin' water pump.
I guess these Brits have never heard of crop dusters or flying tankers.......
Global Warming on Free Republic
Build several urban based ground separation units in each major metro area, to collect ground level ozone, then pump & eject it into the upper stratospheric levels.
They can reduce ground level ozone pollution, without rewriting the rules; “replenish/repair” the (ozone was never there, it isn't missing) ozone hole; and blow tons of money, employing lots of moonbats.
Just before (say, at the 85-90% complete stage) EPA could pay Greenpeace & Sierra Club to sue them to shut it down due to some unforeseen “environmental damage” of some sort: a win-win-win-win-win for the lunatics!
The ship will have a large coal-fired generating plant to power the pumps, the heat tapes on the pipe, and the nozzle heaters.
If they manage to balance the system correctly, it will cancel out the CO^2 created to keep it running.
They can think up their own solution to the pressure & flow rate problems.
Unfortunately, I can just hear them a DU ‘solving’ the pumping problems by invoking the surface-stratosphere pressure differentional to suck the water up the pipe like a straw; and by using LOTS of tiny pipes to act as capillaries. I make myself laugh just imagining them.
The key phrase:
“is being backed by the British government”
I like the idea, from a purely scientific stand point. It would be interesting to see what happens.
:’D
Uh oh! The planners forgot a small detail?
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