Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: remotemass on 26/06/2021 20:38:04

Title: Would it be physically possible to send large rocks of ice water to space?
Post by: remotemass on 26/06/2021 20:38:04

Would it be physically possible to send rocks of ice water to space in large amounts using a space elevator or some other method in such large amounts that you could lower the sea level?
My question is about the theoretical feasibility not really about the practicality of it which is obviously very hard to achieve.

Title: Re: Would it be physically possible to send large rocks of ice water to space?
Post by: alancalverd on 26/06/2021 22:22:42

Whilst it is physically possible to remove anything from the planet, water is the most valuable asset of this planet and the reason why it is the only place in the universe known to support life.

Rising or falling sea levels may present a temporary discomfort to human society, but homo sapiens is of no great importance to the ecosphere and is more capable of migrating or restricting its population than any other species.

Title: Re: Would it be physically possible to send large rocks of ice water to space?
Post by: evan_au on 27/06/2021 04:01:56

Launching things into space is a very carbon-rich process, so it would only accelerate climate change.
- Building a space elevator with launched materials would be very carbon intensive.
- It may be better to source the counterweight from a Near-Earth Asteroid...
- And manufacture the elevator cable in space (once we find a material that can handle the tension)

Even running a space elevator is an energy-intensive endeavour, which would have to come from "green" sources.

"Rising sea levels" is just one of the symptoms of increasing greenhouse gas emissions. It is better to treat the disease (dependence on fossil fuels), rather than try to treat the symptoms one at a time.