[extropy-chat] Space elevator numbers I

[Keith Henson]

At 05:04 PM 2/13/2007 -0800, you wrote:
>Keith,
>
>  > This business is urgent, so let's figure displacing all the US coal
>  > fired plants in about a year.
>
>That seems extraordinarily aggressive to me.  If you're picking an
>aggressive target in order to show that getting sufficient material to
>space is possible rather than because you think this is really
>necessary, I'll be happy to not argue.
>
>But if you think we have to "solve the problem" in a year from a
>standing start, I wonder what evidence you're relying on.  I know that
>lots of people are worried, but I haven't heard anyone saying we'll have
>lost the battle if we can't figure out how to stop burning coal this decade.

I didn't mention it, but the build up from starting to when you can turn on 
the first SPS is going to take 6 years to a decade.  It takes 10 doublings 
to go from a 2 ton/day seed cable to a 2000 ton/day cable.  At three 
doublings per year, that's over three years right there.

*Lots* of steps.  And of course US coal plants are only part of what you 
want to displace.

Thanks very much for responding.

Keith