h a l f b a k e r yA riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a rich, flaky crust
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Find some decent fault-lines in the 30 million cubic kilometres of Antarctic ice, and cause it to slide into the ocean where it will slowly float North.
Plain old mechanical heat transfer cools the ocean and atmosphere, slowing/stopping the release of Antarctic sea-bound methane clathrates.
Since
ice will again immediately build up on the continent and the seas in between the Antarctic islands, the albedo of the continent is mostly unchanged, while that of the Earth is increased by the monstrous 'bergs, while they're extant, floating towards the Equator.
You'd think global flooding would be a bad thing, but consider: economically poor villages whose liveliehood depends on fishing simply move their shacks inland.
The effects on "rich" countries would be to flood out the big cities on the coast... So what ? displaced individuals claim insurance and buy all the properties available from the housing bubble collapse, not adding to, but simply shifting around, the internal debtload.
Meanwhile new-coastal cities are rebuilt, much smaller since, unlike several centuries ago, the only part of businesses that actually need to be situated close to a port are the docks.
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This would be better for the Arctic if there is any ice left up there. If I understand correctly, the Antarctic has rocks under the ice. If the ice slides off the land into the sea it will be much like when I enter the kiddy pool: the water will rise to envelop other smaller bathers, washing pool toys out onto the lawn. |
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Still, I think only nuclear explosions have the ability to meaningfully address climate change. So bun. |
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Bun for gratuitous use of nuclear weapons |
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//pool toys// granted, introduction of the entire mass of south polar ice would increase the volume of the world's oceans by 4%, but somewhat ephemerally, since the continent would rise after being lightened. |
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As well as the opportunity to rebuild coastal population centers in a more environmentally-friendly manner, it gives the opportunity to enrich more barren lands if coastal topsoil is relocated. |
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Oops, misread this as "Nude Antarctica" -
arguably just as good an idea though... |
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People go on about poor fishing villages that will be devastated: umm.... move your shacks, which will fall down in a decade anyways, inland. |
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The only actual "devastation" to human civilization would be to large, ie: modern, cities full of people who don't need to be oceanside anyways. |
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Displaced people get government-mandated full-plus-a-bit payment for lost property, meaning house prices go back up nationswide which saves the government the trouble of bailing out people who bought their property during the crashed housing bubble. |
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I think that most modern cities would be greatly enriched by the quaint charm of gondoliers. |
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A representative of country "A" and one of archrival "B" are walking along the beach, whereupon they trip over a magic-lamp: |
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The genie grants them one wish each, after taxes... |
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"A" wishes "a great wall to be built around my country so the B's can't get in", |
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at which point "B" uses up his wish: "thence to be filled with water". |
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Still better economic policy than cash-for-clunkers. |
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Idea: use nukes and fission-powered hot water jets
to carve out new housing in the ancient glaciers. |
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While we're about it, Nuke Aledonia and Astle as
well. |
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[response to a comment by 21Quest, whose acct was accidentally deleted] yes, that was rather rudely put; I'm not going to apologize because it isn't the people living in (what are to us) shacks doing the complaining; it's the bleeding-hearts in first-world countries projecting their worry about losing their precious cities. |
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I detect a small amount of sarcasm there... |
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Lookit, the "moderness" of the world which caused global warming in the first place may also help to alleviate it. |
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Take New York for instance: 11 million people. |
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The only advantage of its location, indeed that of most coastal cities, is as a transportation nexus. |
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Based on the amount of international traffic it receives and countered by modern communications technology, how many of those 11 million actually need to physically live there, even counting supporting industries: grocery stores, theatres, schools, etc. ... one million ? a couple hundred thousand maybe ? |
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Obviously great coastal cities are ideal places for people and goods to pass through, adding sea to land and air (with emphasis on rail for large consignments of goods, with its large initial investment followed by minimal maintenance needs compared with other options). |
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But some things don't hold true from a century or two ago: |
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While the presence of a river for fresh water is a plus for any gathering and near a must for a gathering of size, industries which formerly relied on there being nobody downstream (hopefully) no longer have the advantage of being able to pollute indiscriminately: tanners, dyers, slaughterhouses, etc. |
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Modern telecommunications technology has lessened the perceived necessity of face-to-face business communication, ie: there's less need to have your head or branch offices a couple blocks away from the head or branch offices of the people you do business with. And less need to have administration near administered. |
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Along with that of course is the staffing of supporting businesses for those people. |
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What would suffer from a lesser New York (and the like) City would be the arts, for which the great highs and lows of the human condition are the basic staple food. |
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Not to mention the ubiquitous scenario: |
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"Hey, let's settle on this fertile flood plain, by this clear flowing river." |
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"Wasn't there a fertile flood plain and a clear flowing river around here somewhere?" |
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