h a l f b a k e r yI like this idea, only I think it should be run by the government.
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Pykrete is a mix of ice and sawdust that takes much longer
to melt than ice because it acts as an insulator.
The proposal is relatively simple... instead of burning
sawdust and wood waste we bundle it up and ship it to the
Arctic where it is mixed with water during winter and
allowed to freeze
into massive blocks.
Those blocks can then be set afloat in the Arctic Ocean,
creating longer-lasting ice floes for the benefit of the
critters who rely upon ice for a certain portion of the year.
It might still require Polar Bears to "turn brown" if they are
to rely upon natural camouflage to hunt seals. ;)
[link]
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Perhaps you'd 'just' have to steadily blow the sawdust over the landscape whenever it snows, so that it becomes naturally incorporated into the ice. That way you avoid the cost of handling the relatively massive water/ice component. |
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Would this cause global warming by reducing albedo? How
about burying it or covering it in a CFC, cooling it by
evaporation? |
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I'm in for Pykrete alone, much less keeping the arctic
frozen. As for the polar bears, they're turning brown
already. |
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//albedo// Add something white to the mix. A mole or two of flour should do it. |
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I thought most sawdust was being used to make particleboard these days? Since there is money in selling particleboard, and you have to spend money to ship sawdust to the Arctic, it seems this Idea will have significant trouble getting anywhere. |
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Betcha they burn shitloads of it in Russia, [Vernon]. |
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Don't know how far north trees get but there seems to be a source of sawdust fairly close. |
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//natural camouflage to hunt seals. ;)// |
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[ubie], was that a smiley you used there? Are you
going soft in your old age? |
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Can we bleach the sawdust white first? |
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It was a sop to Sarah Palin and her ilk, [Max]. |
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I don't see why not, [bacon]. I'm used to sawdust
being dark red, as hardwood species are more
common here than conifers. Bleach would probably
prolong 'berg life. |
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[bigsleep], the energy to freeze it is provided by
winter. Making it whiter would help. |
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//Add something white to the mix. A mole or two of
flour should do it.// |
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Add a mole of sugar, just in case of global warming, in which case one could have a very large Arctic cake. (Are recipes forbidden on the HB?) |
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The moles will all be hibernating. |
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