Originally posted by DA Morgan:
Thermal absorption by the air would not be a big issue as one could use the wavelength of choice to minimize that. But the thermal efficiency of power generation from wind is the issue.
Each step in converting wind, or whatever, to electricity and then the electricity into light will generate heat.
Maybe stuffing rags in politicians mouths would work as it would stop much of the hot air from being generated in the first place.
I recognize that windows of transmission could be tuned and selected. What frequency would not have some impact on high level ice crystal clouds, the h2o component or the soot/dust/collector atoms that seed the ice crystals?
I was aluring to your last threat (the politicians) in the concern that any form of power generation would be turned from its earlier intent - be it by regulation or de-regulation - if there is power and potential profit, it is sure to be hi-jacked from alturistic long term purposes to one of short term gain.
It would be "nice" to think that such a technological system could be established to confront the challenges of climate change but in realpolitika you have to consider
1. who is going to fund the project
2. how long it will take
3. how effecient (or inefficient) it will be
4. the other players who sit back and allow something to be built, only to "steal it" for other purposes later.
Such a powerful laser system as this would make a great anti-sat weapon project so the DOD comes in confiscates your green-friendlly project and it is never turned on to do as originally wished, but held back for the Day of Need.
Also, there is less and less "free space" to just go and broadcast a death ray. Sats spin and whirl in an amazingly dense cloud. Keeping a zone of projection would only draw more spy sats from competing nations who think this zone would be used to cover up clandestine military programs, propelling hardened sat tech, more death ray research and so on...
Call me a cynic if you wish but there is no effective form of human governance that allows for planning over a centruy-type time span and that is what this project would require for it to truely impact the earth's heat budget.
Nice idea but we humans, the weakest link, could never carry it off.
