• Kale@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    Musk said something about how terraforming Mars to be habitable shouldn’t be difficult, and I was thinking “well then getting CO2 from 400+ ppm to 300 ppm should be a cake walk for you! Why haven’t you done that yet!”

    • DFTBA_FTW@lemmy.fmhy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      I believe, and I’d have to go find the quote, but he meant/said simple. Simple =/= easy, just that there are a few things you can do that have a huge impact. Like you could bombard the polar caps and release a shit ton of Co2 and water which would thicken the atmosphere, trap some heat, and start a rain cycle. That’s conceptually simple but practically hard. To keep on with Musk, he’s also been quoted multiple times saying that living on Mars is gonna suck for a long long time.

      I guess in the same way climate change is conceptually simple but practically hard. Cutting out 90% of Co2 emissions pulling existing Co2 out is simple, most of the tech is already developed, it just would cost hugely insane amounts of money to do it quickly. We have direct air capture, we could build dedicated nuclear power air capture plants above existing limestone/granite deposits and pump them full. It just would cost $$$$/kg.