Arcos Cielos Research Center

In the following letter, written to his colleague, Jose Cordeiro, (Founder of the Society for the Future of Venezuela, and Chair of the Millennium Project), NASA Scientist, Dennis Bushnell issues a “Global Warning” for possible amplification and dire consequences of Global Climate Change, and some innovative solutions: Dennis is one of the most brilliant scientific minds in America, because he has been willing to step outside the guidelines on traditional Scientific Thinking, and come up with numerous far-reaching and innovative solutions for restoring and enhancing the balance between Humans and the Global Biosphere. 

Jose -

There are some other potential “Warming” impacts that are both nearer term and quite catastrophic including the following:

- The current estimates do not include the release of fossil methane from the arctic and the Oceans. As you are aware there are huge amounts of fossil methane hydrate which are now melting/out-gassing from melt lakes in the northern tundra [ Canada, Siberia,...] and the oceans. Also, as you are aware, such methane is some 22X worse, as a warming gas, than CO2. Potential impacts of these releases include:

1. Much of the Oceanic Methane Hydrate is located in coastal regions. Estimates indicate that release of such could produce undersea landslides and generate MAJOR tidal waves with mortality figures in the tens of millions each, along with immense economic impacts.

2. There have evidently been some 3 previous massive fossil methane releases in the Geological Ages with, in each case, some 80% plus species extinction. The time scale for such occurrences was evidently/purportedly decades vice Millennia……….

- The current estimates do not include the impacts of PH change and loss of iron-rich dust [ from massive anthropogenic land use alterations] upon Oceanic Algae and consequent impacts upon Oceanic CO2 uptake. Data indicate major [ 50%] decreases in the latter, perhaps due to the former.

Both of these effects are major climate change/warming “Accelerators”. May be part of the reason why the estimates of summer Ice Free Arctic passage are so far off – changed from 2100 to 2040 to 2012 in some 5 years based upon “Ground Truth”.

- Ocean rise estimates based upon previous “natural” warming events are much greater than those included in the current IPCC studies. This additional [ nearer term] Ocean Rise has, as you know, catastrophic potential impacts upon many, “Third World”, areas. These IPCC studies are, by the nature of their generation processes, Conservative and not capturing what is happening well.

Overall – The climate change issue is probably both nearer term and far more deadly to both life and treasure than is currently envisaged.

Therefore, suggest a reconsideration of the importance of combating/addressing/working “Warming”…………..Especially in view of the following:

- Working this “Common Enemy” is/will [combined with the emerging IT Revolution-enabled superb global comms/immersive presence] “bring together” the human societies [ AKA Nations and peoples] of the entire Planet in a wholly new way with immense potential benefits going forward in terms of Geopolitics, Geo-economics, Geo-security and Global Consilience-in-the-large [ planet-scale E PLURIBUS UNUM].

- Forces FORESIGHT, a STRATEGIC Thinking mindset vice the current/ historical Tactical approaches, decades considerations vice months-to-years.

- The technologies to “fix” warming [ summarized below] are affordable/more economical than current practices/approaches. Addressing warming will generate wealth, raise ALL boats. Not a tactical question of pie-cutting/cutting current levels of “AID”, etc. The real issues/opportunities include “changing the Game” overall [ as you point out we were not doing well at all at the old game], obviating/mitigating devastating near-to-mid term environmental disasters, generating wealth for all, promoting/enabling a far more “peaceful” planet.

Suggested Precis of “Ways Forward” to “Fix” Warming etc.

1. Biofuels from Halophytes and Algae [ including genomic/synthetic bio upgrades] using saline/salt water and wastelands [ some 44% of the land masses are wastelands], not ethanol particularly and not from corn etc., to replace petroleum in a few decades. No competition with food crops and, in fact, PRODUCTION of food and potential return of the 67% of the fresh water now used for conventional agriculture to direct human use.

2. Drilled Geothermal [ available on some 50% of the land masses], biomass and Solar thermal and PV [ with thermal storage] to replace coal/natural gas for base load.Possibly Space Solar Reflectors.

3. Multitudinous flavors of conservation including the emerging “Tele-Everything”/ Virtual presence vice physical travel, Potential massive Carbon Nanotube impacts on electrical loss reductions…..

4. Many of the techs are scale-able to distributed generation, back porch bio reactors etc…

There are, in addition, MANY niche techs [ e.g. Wind and Tidal currents] and , somewhat farther term, really revolutionary energetics possibilities incl. LENR’s [Low Energy Nuclear Reactions - Ed. Note].

This obviously changes completely the current geopolitics and Geo-economics of Energetics. The price of Petroleum should Plummet.

Have a Draft 1.5 hour tirade on the futures of energetics am preparing as an invited plenary for the World Future Society next July in DC. (http://www.wfs.org) …….Can “core down” at least two levels and GREATLY expand on the brief energetics bits provided herein. We can DO THIS, we can DO THIS relatively soon and affordably, We can DO THIS and greatly improve the welfare of the entire planet. Obviously do not agree with diverting resources away from working Warming………

Best

Dennis Bushnell

Chief Scientist

NASA Langley Research Center

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