In theory, energy needs at the biosphere’s existing population level of close to seven billion could be met with a mix of clean sources that are hydro, nuclear, photovoltaic (ground), solar thermal, geothermal, biofuels and photovoltaic (space based) and thus arrest the oncoming problem of climate change. Thorium based nuclear plants are an interesting possibility as thorium is plentiful.
Where does space exploitation enter the picture? Studies during the latter part of the twentieth century confirmed the feasibility of erecting giga-watt scale solar power collectors stationed at geosyncronous orbit, configured to beam power via microwave to terrestrial receivers. As a minimum, the government should fund the development and deployment of a demonstrator. If successful, in the normal course of events, utilities companies would take over, just as industry followed up when communications satellites were shown to be practical and economically promising. At present, lacking any serious mission, it makes sense from several aspects as a first mission for the SLS, not the least of which is prospect of payback.
If Earth population growth continues at the present rate of around one per cent per year, it will double in under seventy years, and energy demand will concurrently at least double and could triple as consumer demand spreads across the globe. Emissions will grow with population growth, and deforestation will reduce corrective ability, thus speeding up climate change. The last ten years were the warmest on record. The trend is likely to continue, probably at a higher rate, due to the nature of positive feedback. Disbelievers confuse weather with climate change. A weather event like the exceedingly cold parts of the United states during the winter of 2014 underscores the arguments of the disbelievers. The consequences of climate change have been predicted and must be taken seriously: higher temperatures, calamitous storms, flooded lands from ocean levels, uninhabitable tropics, starvation and mass die-offs, and massive diasporas into areas of moderate temperature, Canada and Siberia.
On the bright side, and paradoxically also on the dark side, it is turning out that carbon based energy is plentiful, even if the population doubles and even without any effort to produce clean energy. The problem facing humanity is to stop its use or suffer the consequences. Absent serious concern and action, corporate power and weak governance are likely to prevent anything of the sort occurring. Politics will prevent any corrective measure like the suggested space power development from being promoted and funded.
The elephant in the room is methane.... non-fossil methane, which is secreted in prodigious quantities beneath Earth’s surface. In Earth’s early history, before there was plant life, methane was a significant component of the atmosphere. Along with other gases, it was pushed into subterranean cavities and fissures, as well as into solution in hot brines in vast quantities and sealed by subsequent crustal movements. As an example, estimates of the amount of methane dissolved in hot brines deep below Louisiana and Texas and extending into the Gulf run as high as 105,000 quads. The annual U.S. energy consumption is about 70 quads. How many such deposits exist worldwide? U.S. patents cover extraction methods that are already in development. In another area, non-fossil methane is harvested by employing advanced drilling technology and fracking, to fracture the methane-containing rocky structure with high pressure water, releasing the entrapped gas. All this spells big trouble, as corporate power and greed will exploit and keep governance in a state of helplessness.
Perceptive, sensitive and sensible governance would say no. This source of energy must stay bottled up because it will certainly lead to the ruination of the biosphere. We have the ability, and we have the technology to obtain our energy, clean energy, from where it is the most plentiful.... from the sun.
NASA sponsored studies of space based solar power in the last decades of the twentieth century. Feasibility was proven. A sensible first mission for the SLS would be a solar power demonstrator. In the course of events, with success, utilities companies will step in, much as communications companies stepped in when the government demonstrated geosynchronous communications satellites.
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