Re:Bill and Melinda Gates: America’s Top Farmland Owner
by willis936 on Thursday January 14, 2021 @01:28PM
(#25780106)
And if power demand increases another order of magnitude? I don’t think anyone seriously argues that 100% of power should come from solar; it’s just a demonstration of relative quantities.
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Re:Bill and Melinda Gates: America’s Top Farmland Owner
by ben_w on Thursday January 14, 2021 @02:03PM
(#25780650)
We’re only four of those away from having to choose between a Dyson swarm or ending growth.
Re:Bill and Melinda Gates: America’s Top Farmland Owner
by willis936 on Thursday January 14, 2021 @02:09PM
(#25780736)
I think after two we would probably be able to make our own fusion reactors of whatever size desired. This would avoid having to waste precious terrestrial area or deal with space power transmission.
Re:Bill and Melinda Gates: America’s Top Farmland Owner
by ben_w on Thursday January 14, 2021 @02:37PM
(#25781263)
The origin of the power isn’t the only thing that forces you to make this choice.
If fusion (or anything else) adds four orders of magnitude (~200 PW) of new power at ground level, the new global average blackbody equilibrium temperature would increase from about +15 C to about +70 C.