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This is just COOL!
I read about this in today's WaPo. It sounds sensible to me, though I do wonder if there'd be any consequences to taking that much energy out of the upper atmosphere. One percent of all the energy up there is supposedly enough to power all of human civilization, but one percent might make a big difference in complex systems. Weather is unpredictable as it is, verdad? I'm talking out my arse here, so if you know something about these things do jump in.
For those who can't be asked to click the link, it's about the invention of a flying power plant attached to the ground by a power cable. It seems the winds in the upper atmosphere are far more strong and consistent than winds down near the surface, so such a plant can easily keep itself aloft and still generate plenty of surplus power. Even if you're a global-warming skeptic, the potential here is incredible, frees us from looking for fossil fuels, and it would be cheaper than coal without polluting at all.
I read about this in today's WaPo. It sounds sensible to me, though I do wonder if there'd be any consequences to taking that much energy out of the upper atmosphere. One percent of all the energy up there is supposedly enough to power all of human civilization, but one percent might make a big difference in complex systems. Weather is unpredictable as it is, verdad? I'm talking out my arse here, so if you know something about these things do jump in.
For those who can't be asked to click the link, it's about the invention of a flying power plant attached to the ground by a power cable. It seems the winds in the upper atmosphere are far more strong and consistent than winds down near the surface, so such a plant can easily keep itself aloft and still generate plenty of surplus power. Even if you're a global-warming skeptic, the potential here is incredible, frees us from looking for fossil fuels, and it would be cheaper than coal without polluting at all.
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