Richard Branson offers $25 million global warming prize

I love news like this.

British billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson, with former Vice President Al Gore at his side, offered a $25 million prize Friday for anyone who can come up with a way to blunt global climate change by removing at least 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide a year from Earth's atmosphere.

...Branson, saying the "survival of our species" is imperiled by current environmental trends, said the prize was similar to cash inducements that led to some of history's most notable achievements in navigation, exploration and industry.

The winner must devise a plan to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere without creating adverse effects. The first $5 million would be paid up front; the remainder would be paid only after the program had worked successfully for 10 years.

This is about much more than just a $25 million prize. It's the energy that the whole thing generates. There will be research ripples that will radiate out from this, just like the commercial space flight prize, which has the potential to generate a cumulative result way beyond what the one person/organization who wins the prize will produce.

But there are also positive ripples from the buzz that it creates. People pay attention to Richard Branson, and people pay attention to money like that. It's interesting. It's exciting. And best of all, it focuses people's attention on the issue.

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Comments

[Givemeabreak]

See this link at the bottom for my comments. This is the wrong way to go about fixing this problem especially by someone who has companies that are carbon pigs. I'm surprised Al Gore is associated with him. I thought I liked Al Gore for awhile. Now I have my doubts.

http://www.impactlab.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=10660

[Curt Rosengren]

Interesting points. I absolutely agree on your points that we need to "quit being so damn selfish and greedy, and chose the earth, our kids, and life over the gold."

That said, I think it's folly to think it's an either/or equation. It seems a bit like throwing the baby out with the bathwater to say that the over-indulgent lifestyle is behind this mess (agreed), so the "rich morons" can't do any good by "throwing money at it."

As I see it, we need as much of both as we can get. Yes, we need a massive cultural shift towards a more sustainable way of living. And we also need technology that is going to help reduce the damage already being done.

And if a prize like this can spur research beyond the amount of the prize (look at how much effort went into competing for the space flight prize), then I say two thumbs up.

[Nikolay Burenkov]

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To fundamental laws of physics, and the opening new physical law-
« Transformation static нагруженности (springs, magnetic fields and others
Springing materials) in dynamics{changes} of rotary movement on the basis of planetary
Systems of tooth gearings. For the first time an energy source are not spontaneous
Forces of the nature, and force of statically loaded spring acting on dividers of forces
Infinitely in time. The engineering specifications under a heading « MECHANICAL
Self-propelled - BURANLO (БУРАНЛО) » is to the address of:
http://mydiler.narod.ru/nm/ener.html
http://www.skif.biz/index.php?name=Files&op=view_file&lid=347

[jonny]

My name is Jonathan bardsley and I'm writing to you to let you know how global warming can be stopped. Now I know it would take a lot of them, but the temperture of this planet can be controlled, thats if this ider is done. If you stick millions of mirrors in space and reflect heat away from this planet, you can control the heat on this planet. Not only would you control the temperture of this planet, you would also be able to control the weather, you see all the weather works off is hot and cold, so if you reflect more heat on or off hot and cold you control hot and cold. Please check this out because I belive it is already being done by serton governments. Since hurican Katrina thay all keep getting down grading before reaching inland. Now I wonted to know how a hurricane could be down graded so I worked out in my head that you would need to reflect more heat on the back of a huricane, then I went to the librarie to read up on how hurricans down grade and it said hurricanes down grade when it is colder at the frount, so if you reflect more heat on the back, you are making it colder at the frount than at the back

Please E Mail me back to let me know you have read this and you understand what I am trying to tell you. My heart is on trying to stop this planet and all life on it from being distroued. I have also worked out other things out in my head and I would like help in proving things.

JONATHAN BARDSLEY
This is what I sent to Greanpeace.
And this is the reply I got from Greanpeace:
Dear Johnny,

Thank you for this email. You are quite right, mirrors in space would be one way of cooling the Earth down a bit, and there are scientists working on this and one or two similar solutions. Greenpeace wouldn’t support this idea, as whilst it could stop the warming effect, and possibly stabilize the weather, if we continue to emit CO2 then there are other unpleasant consequences. For example, CO2 acidifies the sea (it becomes carbonic acid when absorbed by water). If we don’t reduce our CO2 output we will end up with dead seas and oceans, regardless of the temperature. If we do reduce our CO2 output then we might not need the mirrors in space. There is the possibility that we might get CO2 emissions under control, but need a short-term solution to deal with the effects of the pollution we’ve already emitted, in which case the mirrors might be useful.

Regards,

Graham Thompson

Supporter Services

Greenpeace UK

Greenpeace relies entirely on the support

of people like you, please Donate Now:

http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/donate014

To sort the Co2 what was once green and has turned into deseart because of draught if you stablise the weather and make it rain again there to get plant life gowing again that will get will get rid of the co2.
Please get back to me to let me know you have got this email.

[kfc69]

#0Ly $#!+ 25 million dollars

[kfc69]

#0Ly $#!+ 25 million dollars