Pentagon Report: Let's Put Solar Power Collectors in Orbit


WASHINGTON — A Pentagon-chartered report urges the United States to take the lead in developing space platforms capable of capturing sunlight and beaming electrical power to Earth.


Space-based solar power, according to the report, has the potential to help the United States stave off climate change and avoid future conflicts over oil by harnessing the Sun's power to provide an essentially inexhaustible supply of clean energy.

The report, "Space-Based Solar Power as an Opportunity for Strategic Security," was undertaken by the Pentagon's National Security Space Office this spring as a collaborative effort that relied heavily on Internet discussions by more than 170 scientific, legal, and business experts around the world.

More?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,301479,00.html

Very interesting..

Risky...

An enemy could knock out a country's energy supply with rockets attacking space platforms instead of local power plants...

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"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

You're not gonna believe this but that is exactly what went through my mind! It would have to be heavily defended.

I believe it...

I MADE you think that...insert eerie music...

__________________
"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

It could certainly free up a lot of the oil that's currently used. But it won't be cost free, due to the cost of setting the system up. And it won't be immediate because these things take time. And it won't obviate the need by other countries for oil. And it won't replace oil and other fossil fuels when it comes to products such as plastics and medicines and paints and pesticides and such.

But it WOULD be a boon to our lives. Absolutely great!

Here's a question for all of you:

If this system made it possible for us to swear off of Mid East oil for good, do you think we should abandon all concern for what happens in the middle east?

Nope...

The deepest elements of radicalism has nothing to do with oil...

That won't stop honor killings...

That won't stop the religious permission to beat wives...

That won't stop persecutions for haircuts and clothes that show ankles...



And that won't stop it from spreading......

__________________
"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

Let me say in advance that I know this is not what you are saying, but I see it as an underlying 'assumption' (possibly poor wording) of your question...
And also, all references to a Middle East "they" are referring to specifically the war-like factions. I am not trying to imply that all Muslims or Middle-East inhabitants are like this.

With that said, I really get tired of the "blood for oil" crowd.
I have yet to hear any person give a rational argument that shows we are at war because of oil.
And maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see "oil" as a focus or relevant purpose aspect of our war efforts in the Middle East.

I haven't heard anybody argue FOR middle east military action based on a desire for "oil".

With that said, if "oil" were suddenly made obsolete (which I don't see happening as there is a BIG world out there and it's not just the U.S. who uses it), I think the financial impact upon the Middle East would be profound.
Suddenly, they'd have to find a new way to fund their weapons.
The "leasure" activity of killing one another and others would have to find a new source of income to fund it.
They would have to evolve...

Exactly...It's just a tag phrase for lazy people who would rather not delve into actual answers...

If we WERE there for oil, there'd be tankers lined up on the shoreline and a heavily guarded pipe going straight to the beach...

Most of our troops are in the Sunni Triangle...The least oil-rich area of Iraq...

The ONLY aspect with oil in this war is that you don't want the reserves to get into the hands of radicals, who would sell it on the black market to buy weapons and anti-US friendships which would hurt America more than nything that's happening now...

So if anything, it's not a war FOR oil...It's a war to PREVENT oil from being used against us...

And that's only a part of it...

__________________
"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

Absoulutly not..I refuse to let Radical Islam terorists shape my destiny..

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"Destiny must be shaped and not left to mere chance."..Spencer Collins ..