There's recently been a lot of bad news about climate change.
But we must not despair; solutions to our problems unquestionably exist. The sun provides us daily with enormous amounts of energy. Harnessing 1% of 1% of that energy (either directly, or by harnessing the winds or waves it powers), would power all of civilization.
This diary is nominally about a solution (Flying Electric Generators, or FEGs) which have the potential to supply clean, renewable electricity to the entire world. But I write it to provide an example of how the ideals of the enlightenment-- curiosity, rational approach to problem-solving, pragmatism, enlightened debate—may help solve our problems.
Briefly, most of the wind is in the sky, so why not build the wind farms up there? Flying robotic wind turbines will use a small part of the power the generate to stay aloft by running their horizontal turbines like helicopter blades, and send the rest down through their tethers.
High level winds are highly reliable, and harvesting 1% of the Jet Stream's power could supply us with all the power we use now.
The best part? Flying windfarms could be reality within five years, producing power more cheaply than coal.
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