GB2438156A

GB2438156A - Climate regulating solar reflector

Info

Publication number: GB2438156A
Application number: GB0609848A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Harvey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-05-18
Filing date: 2006-05-18
Publication date: 2007-11-21
Also published as: GB0609848D0

Abstract

A device comprising large areas of highly reflective material 2 is laid out on the surface of the land 1 or sea to reflect large quantities of solar energy back into space resulting in generalised cooling of the Earth's atmosphere or changes in local climate. If deployed at sea the material has a bouyant backing and is anchored to the sea bed.

Description

1. 2438156

CLIMATE REGULATING SOLAR REFLECTOR

This invention is a device to reduce global atmospheric temperature or influence climate moie locally by reducing sea or land temperatures.

Global warming due to increasing levels of atmospheric "greenhouse gases" is taken as a fact by most of the scientific community. This trend has very serious consequences for the planet and mankind via the disruption of weather patterns leading to flood, drought, famine, rising sea levels and consequent population movements.

Many people believe the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has already passed a point where a positive feedback cycle begins, leading to ever increasing temperatures and carbon dioxide levels. Even if this point has not been reached yet, mankind shows no serious will to curb his use of fossil fuels. Therefore the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere would appear to be on an irreversible upward trend for many years to come.

This device consists of large sheets of highly reflective material laid out on the surface of the earth to reflect some of the sun's energy back into space. The device accepts increasing carbon dioxide levels as a fact but will help counteract global warming by reflecting solar energy back to space, buying mankind time to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. It can also be used to influence local weather patterns.

It is likely to take a huge manufacturing effort over many years to produce enough of this device to have the desired effect. However, global warming is a slow process and if a positive feedback cycle does exist, small areas of the earth's surface rendered highly reflective in the near future will be as effective as much larger areas covered when the temperature has already risen appreciably. If in the future, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were controlled and began to fall, a careful programme of reduction of the area covered by this device could be considered.

The most effective areas for installation of this device would be: 1. Equatorial desert regions where the sun is high in the sky and clear atmospheric conditions would lead to a high degree of the reflected solar energy reaching space.

2. Equatorial ocean surfaces where again the sun is high in the sky and of which huge areas are available.

This device could also be used to influence local weather patterns by cooling a specific region. An example of this might be the Gulf of Mexico where a slight cooling of the sea would reduce the power and frequency of hurricanes with a direct cost saving to the affected areas.

The device could easily be made to float on the sea surface by application of a buoyant backing to the reflective sheeting and then anchored to the sea bed. 2.

Two applications of the device will now be described.

1. Land Based -see figure 1 Large sheets of highly reflective material area laid out on the land with the edges buried to prevent wind lifting damage. The dimensions are not fixed but really as large as manufacturing constraints and the space available allow. A long narrow sheet that could be manufactured on a roll and then unrolled into position would be the easiest way to install the device. However, multiple sheets could be laid side by side and fixed together to cover a very large area both in length and breadth.

2. Sea Based -see figure 2 The reflective material is given a buoyant backing to float on the sea surface and weighted edges to prevent wind lifting damage. It is anchored to the sea bed. As with the land based application strips could be joined side by side to produce large areas of continuous coverage.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. A device for cooling the Earth's atmosphere by reflecting large amounts of solar energy back into space.

2. A device that will influence local climate by reflecting large amounts of solar energy back into space.

3. A device according to claims 1 and 2 consisting of large sheets of highly reflective material laid out on the surface of the earth in great enough quantities to reflect enough solar energy to result in a generalised cooling of the atmosphere or alteration in local climate.

4. A device according to claims 1 and 2 consisting of large sheets of highly reflective material with a buoyant backing laid out on the sea's surface and anchored to the sea bed in great enough quantity to reflect enough solar energy to result in a generalised cooling of the atmosphere or alteration in local climate.