So here are two ideas I've been playing with (disclaimer: my current position is that climate change is already beyond repair, these are just my best two guesses at solving part of the problem)
Option 1:
- Use heliostat solar ("molten salt" solar) to generate heat in desert coastal areas
- Use the majority of the power to desalinate ocean water (this is a relatively cheap thing to do with the massive amounts of heat heliostat installations capture)
- Provide irrigation to the desert from the desalinated water
- Use a bootstrapping mechanism to generate fertile soil
- Plant a lot of trees
- Rise repeat (keep the trees there of course, expand coverage rather than replace)
This is technologically doable, safe, provides a massive carbon sink, among other potential benefits (housing, agriculture opportunities) in areas that are otherwise lifeless wastelands.
Option 2
- Genetically engineer (synthetic biology) a rapid growing photosynthesizing algea that accumulates some heavier than water materials. Once a threshold is reached (quorum sensing) inititate a self destruct sequence for the colony
- Build a massive basin in the ocean for these things
- Just let the dead algea go to the bottom of the ocean
Slightly less safe and more experimental, still very doable (even grad students can potentially engineer this, just look at iGem)
/But/ and this is the big but: I strongly believe these are viable options, the numbers even look on the /profitable/ side of things. However, initial investment will take billions how does a senior software developer in Artificial Intelligence without the right connections even begin to approach building or promoting these things?
