[extropy-chat] FWD (SK) The Coming Climate Collapse

[Technotranscendence]

On Saturday, February 07, 2004 8:39 PM Kevin Freels
kevinfreels at hotmail.com wrote:
> Just how much land area are we speaking of?

No much.  The initial project could be very small.  A channel just has
to be widened.  Water already trickles through from the Red Sea, but at
such a low rate that it onlyt creates salt flats for few miles from the
area.

> Enough so that a group of entrepreneurs could
> buy the land, blow it up, and do this without anyone
> knowing until it was too late?

It could be done rather quickly.  I'm not sure how well monitored the
area is.  (Since the Rift is also widening, it will happen without our
help sooner or later anyhow.)

> Is there any land (or water area) available for
> purchase really cheap that could then be sold
> off afterwards to make a fortune on this deal?
> This is a plan worthy of Dr Evil himself!

Well, the plan could actually be beneficial.  It would create an inland
sea in Eastern Africa in a region that is semi-arid to arid.  Yes, it
would flood some of the lowlands there, but this would also change
rainfall patterns most likely making more rain around the whole region
as well as provide people with a waterway for transportation and
commerce.  Also, people could add seafood to their diet.  No doubt, it
would also increase tourism, since you'd have a large body of calm water
in a very balmy area.  Instead of a few eco-tourists, you'd have tens of
thousands of typical tourists.

I think all of this would have an uplifting effect on the local
economies.  So, I don't think the plan is evil.

Of course, it might be good to do some preliminary studies of the
project, but I'd fear that some people wouldn't want such
macroengineering projects to take place no matter what -- even if the
locals wanted it.  (The locals should really have the say here, no?
It's their habitat.)

Later!

Dan
http://uweb.superlink.net/neptune/MyWorksBySubject.html