HN Explorer

Ask HN: How would you solve climate change?

6 points by Ftuuky ↗ HN
If you had access to all the capital and resources you needed, how would you solve climate change?

I think some sort of large scale geoengineering to achieve global carbon neutrality, maybe a genetically modified algae or cyanobacteria that would sequester a lot more CO2 than any current plant or bacteria.

9 comments

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soniman
Feeding cows seaweed has been shown to reduce methane emissions. Awards for putting out coal seam fires, or awards for technology that reduces the cost of putting out coal seam fires.
smadge
Introduce a heavy tax on fossil fuels and use the revenue to subsidize research and development and installation of sustainable energy sources.
LinuxBender
I would adapt to my new environment, likely building a concrete home under ground, which I have always wanted to do regardless. I would have a carbon neutral home that requires little or no air conditioning.

Some people won't be able to do this due to the soil conditions and engineering resources. Those that can, should. It also makes for more usable land for a garden or crops and keeps your valuables out of sight.

Engineered correctly, I can weather any rain or fire storm. The real challenge will be building my underground garden. It has been done, just not easy at all. There are many other challenges that are not cheap to solve.

I know you wanted to solve climate change and this method would require mass participation. I just know humans well enough to know that anything bigger will take decades to implement. I can do this tiny step now.

seren
You need to find a place out of fluvial plain or near a cost, because you'll have a hard time dealing with floods.
LinuxBender
I have taken that into consideration. The entire unit will be double walled with ludicrous amounts of concrete, rebar and I-Beams. There will be heavy gauge steel pipes that extend 120' above ground level.

That said, the place I am looking at is about 2000' feet above sea level, but may be subjected to snow and ice.

new_guy
Global population reduction. Sterilise 90% of people at birth, within a generation the human population will be at a sustainable level. 7/8 billion people isn't sustainable.
Ftuuky
That's almost the plot of the tv show Utopia.
seren
I have a hard time imagining how societies would not collapse with a sudden drastic population reduction. We would probably lose a lots of skills. Our financial systems would not survive. Unfortunately, our civilization is addicted growth.

I am not saying you are wrong. Population reduction would definitely help but I don't see a simple solution like that working. It is much more drastic than a 1 child policy.

Assuming you have ways to enforce a global 1 child policy, it would only divide the population by 2 every generation, but it seems more humane. (But won't really help growth or financial prospects)

Anyway at some point, we will get the population reduction, voluntarily or not.

fturco
I would introduce a heavy tax on greenhouse gas emissions, and I would redistribute all the revenues as universal basic income.