An Inconvienient Truth, - Global Warming

[Agafaster]

Do your bit. and then at least, it wont be your fault!
actually, you can make a (slight) difference. but it helps if your local authority does decent recycle collections, and someone strangles Bush, and the Dodge design team (I saw one of those big b4st4rd 4x4s they do - I swear it had its own oil refinery on the back...)

[Agafaster]

Dandy wrote:

CannonFodder wrote:

whabang wrote:
...
How about completely covering the entire Sahara Desert (and anywhere else bloody hot like parts of Australia) with solar panels and hooking them up to the ¨international grid¨. ;-)

The problem I see with this is that the dark solar cells become quite hot when the sun is shining on
them - easily 80+°C.

If you install the solar cells anywhere here on earth, they will release the heat from the sunshine to the surrounding air.

What we are looking for is a way to keep the heat entirely away from earths atmosphere (-> global warming).
I'd say the only way to achieve this is to install the solar panel in an orbit...

Furthermore an orbital installation would give the advantage, that you have sunshine for 24 hours every day up there - no clouds, no day/night.

And keep in mind:
Sunshine doesn't cost anything - it's for free!

Actually, the thing is these things will mostly reflect light and heat back into space.
besides, any 80+°C change in the panels can be used to heat water - thus cooling the panel.

the real problem isnt heating the surrounding air, but the air retaining heat too readily.

a lot can be done at home, without needing to resort to new/untried tech:

* Dont leave powerpacks/chargers plugged in and switched on when not in use - the same goes for TVs too: dont leave 'em on standby, switch 'em off!

* Use flourescent tubes/energy saving bulbs in place of incandescent bulbs - and switch em off when not in use!

ask yourself:
* 'Do I REALLY need to drive a 4 litre 4x4 to Tescos/school/work and back ?'
* 'Do I REALLY need to drive fast ?' (40-60mph is about the most fuel efficient speed range to drive - given aerodymanics/engine efficiency etc)
* 'Do I REALLY need to drive, when its only a mile away ?'

while we're doing that, we're playing the small steps game, and will make big energy savings, giving us time to make the big steps like fuel cell cars, biofuels etc.

just my 4 penn'orth!