Should environmental protection be a global agenda?

[Sabertooth]

I wasn't serious about the whole "send our garbage to space" thing.

[Haruka]

That would be perfect as far as the garbage was sent really far.

I don't think it would work though. Think how much rubbish the world produces every day. Then think about how many rockets would be needed to transfer this trash to outer space. Then think of the cost incurred to build, launch and fuel those rockets.

And so? We could send to the sun (or other suns) in order to the garbage capsules getting fully destroyed.

This reminds me a new law done by the Italy government about the plastic bags given away in the supermarkets: they will be forbidden from now on in the whole country.

[Sabertooth]

Then think about how many rockets would be needed to transfer this trash to outer space. Then think of the cost incurred to build, launch and fuel those rockets.

I don't know, I think it might be worth it. As long as we only do it every few centures or so, it would probably clean more than it pollutes and the money wouldn't drain too fast.

Or, back to Futurama, we could make a giant asteroid-sized garbage ball and tie it to one rocket. That would cut costs.

[Phoenixan]

and send all our garbage to outer space.

That would be perfect as far as the garbage was sent really far.

Actually, that's the stupidest idea. Especially if we want to continue using artificial satellites for communication and study, and space travel. There's already a garbage problem around earth orbit. (ex. http://thefutureofthings.com/column/651 ... rbage.html) There was better PBS doc. on the matter, if anyone in the US wants to look it up on their website. It was on Nova if I recall correctly.

[Sabertooth]

There's already a garbage problem around earth orbit.

But Haruka was suggesting that we fire the garbage into the sun, not just randomly into space.

To be honest, countries will probably have to do this eventually. Garbage will keep piling up over the centuries, and Earth doesn't have endless storage for it. Space, however, does, and I can't think of any other way to get rid of it. Government funds will just have to take a hit.

[Phoenixan]

The thing is, it's actually far cheaper to bury garbage under dirt and turn it all into a golf course (as one such facility did in my area), or pick out the recyclables and THEN bury the rest. It's simply too much of a waste of resources to fire a rocket with garbage inside of it into the sun. Think of all that used up fuel and metal just to get rid of trash/hazardous waste.

[spiraldoor]

I think it might actually become practical to dump rubbish and toxic waste in space once space elevators have been invented.

[Haruka]

There's already a garbage problem around earth orbit.

Everyone who saw WALL-E's intro could see a reference to that.

[Phoenixan]

Though it's not quite as extreme as the atmosphere virtually having an extra layer of stuff. It's more-so the fact that a tiny metal nut in space can gain the velocity to pierce virtually any metal, making space travel more dangerous than it already is.

I still need to see Wall-E.

[spiraldoor]

If the layer of extra crap in the atmosphere gets dense enough, it will partially shade us from sunlight, thus combating global warming.

[Xenon]

The whole "send it to space, then it's not our problem" ideology is a bad idea all round. There are so many economic and environmental factors to consider. Take a look at this image that describes the world's satellite distribution - much of it is non-functional junk.

[Sabertooth]

The whole "send it to space, then it's not our problem" ideology is a bad idea all round.

Well, in a few milennia when Earth is covered in mountains of garbage and waste, what else could we possibly do?

[Phoenixan]

The whole "send it to space, then it's not our problem" ideology is a bad idea all round.

Well, in a few milennia when Earth is covered in mountains of garbage and waste, what else could we possibly do?

I think we have to worry sooner about energy and how we're going to get it, than about waste piling up. Some waste is degradable. Some waste is non-degradable, but can be contained. Some is non-degradable, but can be recycled (such as plastic, rubber, and metal).

If the layer of extra crap in the atmosphere gets dense enough, it will partially shade us from sunlight, thus combating global warming.

By this logic, we should also fly more airplanes. To combat global warming!

[Cairnie]

The whole "send it to space, then it's not our problem" ideology is a bad idea all round. There are so many economic and environmental factors to consider. Take a look at this image that describes the world's satellite distribution - much of it is non-functional junk.

Wow and I thought my bedroom was bad.

[spiraldoor]

The whole "send it to space, then it's not our problem" ideology is a bad idea all round. There are so many economic and environmental factors to consider. Take a look at this image that describes the world's satellite distribution - much of it is non-functional junk.

Putting rubbish in orbit around the earth is a pretty half-arsed attempt at launching it into space. Why not do it properly and send it out of the solar system?