[extropy-chat] Terraforming Earth [WAS: FWD (SK) The Coming Climate Collapse]

Kevin Freels kevinfreels at hotmail.com
Thu Feb 12 15:43:46 UTC 2004


All this talk has got me feeling all funny inside....like when we used to
climb the rope in gym class..:-)

What we are talking about here are small to medium cost changes to the
biosphere that could make some dramatic changes..for good or ill.

Such things as flooding the East African Rift Valley would put lots of water
where it needs to be, but that water wouldn't be potable. The potential for
increased rainfall elsewhere is great though.

Piping fresh water into Northern Africa from the Nile to create an inland
sea would reduce the water downstream, and much of it would evaporate. But
that evaporated water would come back down somewhere as well.

These seemingly crazy ideas have me thinking. What other mad ideas can we
dream up that may actually help improve the lives of humans worldwide? What
would their short and long term effects be? What drawbacks may be lingering
that could do more harm than good?

I can;t even sleep at night right now with these crazy ideas flowing!

Kevin Freels



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Spike" <spike66 at comcast.net>
To: "'ExI chat list'" <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 08, 2004 11:50 AM
Subject: RE: [extropy-chat] FWD (SK) The Coming Climate Collapse


>
> > Technotranscendence:
>
> >
> > 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.
>
>
> Well hell yes!  I don't see the down side at all.
> Couldn't we create an inland sea in the western
> Sahara by piping fresh water over from the Nile?
> Then the hot dry air would blow across it and
> perhaps increase rainfall in the eastern side
> of that vast desert.
>
>
> >
> > 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!  Water is valuable as all get out in north
> Africa.  I honestly don't see why we don't get with the
> program and save some of it, or use it for something.
> We could pipe it north from the wetter equatorial
> regions, everyone would benefit.
>
>
> > ...I'd fear that some people wouldn't want such
> > macroengineering projects to take place no matter what -- even if the
> > locals wanted it... Dan
>
>
> Why?  Im not disagreeing, but I do want to understand
> the reasoning of the people who might oppose such an action.
> Would the opposers be entirely on the part of those
> who wish the people of north Africa to starve?  Or are
> there other interests I am overlooking?  Looks like a
> tropical north Africa would help everyone in some way.
> To me, fixing Africa is an even more worthwhile project
> than going to Mars.  And this is *me* talking.
>
> spike
>
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