10 votes

Halfway to boiling: The city at 50°C

6 comments

  1. [3]
    spctrvl
    Link
    I wonder what it would cost to launch enough orbital shades to prevent populated areas from reaching these temperatures. Not sure what other feasible solutions there are to this problem,...

    I wonder what it would cost to launch enough orbital shades to prevent populated areas from reaching these temperatures. Not sure what other feasible solutions there are to this problem, relocating a few billion people is an obvious non-starter, aggressive emissions targets and carbon sequestration will take decades or centuries to counteract what we've already done, and building massive air conditioned buildings is just going to perpetuate the climate change that lies at the heart of this issue.

    3 votes
    1. [2]
      Diet_Coke
      Link Parent
      Maybe in the future cities in these got areas will grow down, not out. It honestly seems like the only 'solution', as cooling buildings artificially is only going to make the problem worse. The...

      Maybe in the future cities in these got areas will grow down, not out. It honestly seems like the only 'solution', as cooling buildings artificially is only going to make the problem worse. The article mentions that the environment may be changing in these areas faster than our ability to adapt, and that wouldn't really surprise me either. That's a heck of a dystopian future, sunlight itself is reserved for the rich that can afford to control their own climate. Similar to how in China the very rich have air filtration systems to cut down on the pollution they breathe in.

      3 votes
      1. spctrvl
        Link Parent
        Going underground's an option, but I think it'd probably be more expensive than launching shades, so hopefully we won't end up having to go there. Still, what a world we live in, where we're...

        Going underground's an option, but I think it'd probably be more expensive than launching shades, so hopefully we won't end up having to go there. Still, what a world we live in, where we're having these conversations at the same time world leaders are trying to increase coal consumption.

  2. [3]
    Soptik
    Link
    This was posted 4 days ago

    This was posted 4 days ago

    1 vote
    1. [2]
      Diet_Coke
      Link Parent
      Woops, you're right - 4.5 days ago with no comments though so maybe this time will generate discussion.

      Woops, you're right - 4.5 days ago with no comments though so maybe this time will generate discussion.

      2 votes
      1. Soptik
        Link Parent
        Maybe try to write your opinion on this, it could help with some interesting discussion.

        Maybe try to write your opinion on this, it could help with some interesting discussion.

        1 vote