As for the ‘threat’ of global warming (that’s a given isn’t it?), haven’t we already shown that we are highly adaptable creatures capable of living practically anywhere on the planet? If we can survive, if not thrive, in all types of climates, what then is at risk? Maybe it’s our sense of permanence, our desire for control or even our belief in the limitless growth of the human race.

Unfortunately, the radical greens are hysterically and deliberately attacking any idea which might allow continued use of large scale energy sources by mankind. They apparently hope to use Global Warming to stifle most economical sources of energy production. At the same time, the ultraconservatives are simply using Climategate and short term climate fluctuations to dismiss the whole idea of Global Warming. The gap between the rational participants and the ideologues on both sides is very wide and virtually unbridgable.

In addition to solving the Climate problem, we are still faced with the problem of creating a very large and clean energy source for mankind. No one energy source can or should attempt to solve the whole situation, but I do support the development of space solar power as one of the very large scale alternatives. (Note that right now, it would be too expensive to use, but with re-usable rockets, the cost would fall into the economically feasible range.)

In a week or two, the Online Journal of Space Communications will present its 16th issue on the topic of Space Solar, with articles on related topics such as Global Warming.
The address is http://spacejournal.ohio.edu/

Since your group covers the energy field, I encourage you to be aware of developments in these areas. Any inventions which could assist in bring the cost of energy production (of any type) down will be welcomed by all rational people.

John Strickland, Austin, TX

The research that can be caried out with such a high tether would be important for a number of fields. Funding for a prototype and field campain could be sought through the SBIR program as well as through direct proposals to NASA, FAA, DoD, NOAA etc……

Another funding approach could be through offering platform space to telecommunications companies. A high tether would be a regional equivilant to a geosync satalite. This aspect of a tehter has multiple potential customers.

One interesting source of funding would be to petition Congress for exclusive rights to operate high tethers for the next 100 years. This would be somewhat like the deal worked out by the early railroad companies. Instead of selling land to fund construction, a company could sell low cost regional telecommunications. The trade off for Congress would be the potential of 1)global warming mitigation 2)low cost rural broad band internet access 3)potential new renewable energy source through harvesting energy directly from the Global Electrical Circuit. The most important aspect of this approach is that it would be easy for Congress to approve such a patent as there are no current operational high tether companies to object!

From providing extended periods of snowcover over the tundra, to cooling the overheated waters of the Great Lakes, to ventilating Mexico City for energy and improved air quality, to extracting enormous amounts of heat from Lake Maracaibo to produce electricity and ammonia for export, or to provide power to Brazil without damming rivers–the possibilities are endless.