Xref: utzoo talk.politics.misc:8861 sci.misc:1284
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!fluke!ssc-vax!eder
From: eder@ssc-vax.UUCP (Dani Eder)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,sci.misc
Subject: Re: greenhouse effect / solar power satellites
Message-ID: <1840@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: 7 Apr 88 14:04:25 GMT
References: <22678@bbn.COM> <5564@well.UUCP> <761@spdcc.COM> <2997@sfsup.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Corp., Seattle WA
Lines: 17
Summary: missed factor


In all the discussion about SPS's adding to the flux entering the
Earth's atmosphere, I have yet to see anyone mention that the
SPS also blocks some sunlight.  This occurs when the SPS is
between the Sun and the Earth.  In the canonical SPS designs
this blockage was small, but there is no fundamental reason
you could not addd a large region of very thin reflective foil
around the active sps photovoltaics, so as to enhance the
blockage effect.  If you worry about net energy entering the
Earth, then this might help.

In fact, if there is not enough time to run all our power
plants backwards to get the CO2 out of the atmosphere before we
fry, intentionally placing mirrors in orbit to deflect inco iming
sunlight might give us more time to solve the problem.

Dani Eder/Boeing/Space Station Program