A Big Idea: What if there was a way to generate electricity while also restoring glacial melt? Because of global warming it is known that glaciers are slowly retreating (and some alarmingly fast) all over the world. Can glaciers be restored? Yes they can. Solar chimneys have a primary benefit of producing electricity. They also have a side benefit of producing more precipitation at the exit point. The temperature difference between the entry point and the exit point is what makes them work 24/7. They do not need to go straight up. If one were to snake a solar chimney up a mountainside, which is a much cheaper way to go, terminating at an existing glacier in retreat, it would have the effect of increasing snow pack and thus restoring the glacier. If the glacier is located in such a way that the summer snow melt drains into the parched Colorado River system it would have the unexpected benefit of increasing the storage at Lake Mead and Lake Powell, for example. The electricity produced could be sold to nearby cities and the water would benefit the Western states. Western states and cities that would benefit from the increased precipitation should fund it and build it. This is green energy. Everybody wins. glaciers.us/Glaciers-Colorado
Posted on: Wed, 18 Sep 2013 03:04:05 +0000
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