[Cicero]

Wouldn't removal of the Van Allen belts have a disastrous effect on the ionization layer that keeps out ultraviolet radiation? It could also lead to major changes in weather patterns. That's just off the top of my head, but I shouldn't think we should risk it in a hurry.

[RightWhale]

removal of the Van Allen belts

The earth's magnetic field will still be there but the contents --charged particles of high energy-- will be drained, which happens naturally anyway. For military applications this might be useful to restore near earth space to somewhat usable conditions quickly after a space radiation attack.

[RobRoy]

Yeah, I remember in grade school or Jr High (back in the '60's) that it was supposed to be a good thing that kept bad radiation out.

So, is my info just really dated (like when we used to think the evolution theory made sense until the last few decades of discoveries - baiting sentence, heh, heh).