What would happen if we put a giant glass tinted dome over each city?

In this scenario, we aren’t trapped in the dome. There are openings and doors, so we can get out, cycle in fresh air, etc.

Is this a viable solution to way to avoid the effects of climate change? Would it be cooler in the dome? Would there be any negative repercussions? Would clouds form inside the dome? Could it rain in the dome? Would the rain be more toxic than usual because car fumes wouldn’t dilute as well? Could outside lightning break the dome if it got struck? Would there be a single point in the dome that the sunlight would be directed to that everyone would just have to avoid, else they just burst into flame?

Sorry but I have so many questions about this. Apparently there was a show about the situation, but all I remember is that it wasn’t very good. Hank from Breaking Bad was in it.

HappyMeatbag,
@HappyMeatbag@beehaw.org avatar

Yeah, it would definitely rain inside the dome.

Source: my dad. He was in the Air Force, and once worked in a giant aircraft hangar that was big enough to accommodate an airship. He told me that the hangar had its own “weather”, and conditions inside the hangar were announced like weather forecasts.

That was only one hangar. Even though it was uncommonly large, it wasn’t nearly as big a city block.

On an unrelated note, I wonder how long it would take the inside of the dome to get filthy from things like exhaust.

Dubious_Fart,

That big stupid hotel in Dubai with the poop trucks also had cloud (and possibly rain?) form because they turned the AC up to fast, iirc.

Its not uncommon for huge buildings with lots of volume.

perviouslyiner,

"humidity event“ (rain) in Facebook data centre

HappyMeatbag,
@HappyMeatbag@beehaw.org avatar

This is hilarious. Thanks!

luthis,

Is this a viable solution to way to avoid the effects of climate change? It’s unrelated. The whole thing is to emit less carbon. If the dome does that, then yes.

Would it be cooler in the dome? Dude, domes are very cool. That’s why chrome-dome is such a compliment. In terms of temperature, probably not. Heat needs to dissipate, and any sealed area is going to maintain thermal momentum more than an open space. Unless you started out cold, then it would stay cold for longer than an open space.

Would there be any negative repercussions? Yes. But you’ll have to be more specific. It would be a huge undertaking that probably wouldn’t be possible, emit lots of carbon, probably be protested by a lot of people, huge waste of resources, etc etc. Not to mention this experiment has been attempted many times and never been successful.

Would clouds form inside the dome? Could it rain in the dome? If it was big enough, and therefore yes.

Would the rain be more toxic than usual because car fumes wouldn’t dilute as well? How big do you want this dome to be?? It would have to be absolutely massive to make it worth having cars inside.

Could outside lightning break the dome if it got struck? Well, it’s going to be pretty thick isn’t it, so unlikely. It would blacken and melt the glass over time. But at the scale you’re suggesting, it’s essentially a mountain that would peak above the clouds.

Would there be a single point in the dome that the sunlight would be directed to that everyone would just have to avoid, else they just burst into flame? As … fun as it would be to be smitten by the sun, I expect the glass would be so thick, it would be quite dim inside so, I don’t think so.

intensely_human,

You’ve heard of the greenhouse effect right? And how it’s named after greenhouses? You know what a greenhouse is? A glass building.

Those domes would be like ovens inside.

1chemistdown,
1chemistdown avatar

{taps forehead} Not if we blacken out the sun

intensely_human,

Say it with me now!

Block! Out! The Sun!
Block! Out! The Sun!
Block! Out! The Sun!

667,
667 avatar

You jest, but this is the idea behind Dyson Spheres.

dylanmorgan,

A Dyson sphere is a sphere surrounding a star to capture all the solar energy of that star. People live on the inside of the sphere.

667,
667 avatar

Conceptually I mean some structure large enough to do something with respect to a star. Yes, it is different literally, but not in the sense I was trying to refer.

BigBootyBoy,
@BigBootyBoy@sh.itjust.works avatar

That’s like saying helicopter and a scooter is the same thing lol

shoomba,

They tried it in Big O. Led to giant robot attacks if I recall.

BigBootyBoy,
@BigBootyBoy@sh.itjust.works avatar

Theoretically, this could stop global warming. Because we would all be dead.

lumberjacked,
@lumberjacked@lemmy.world avatar

I think it was in SuperFreakanomics where they explored the viability of releasing the equivalent to volcano smoke into the atmosphere to shade the earth. The research was based on earth cooling after certain types of volcano eruptions.

I think the scientist conclusion was that it was pretty viable but introduces way too many other issues. The biggest being, who gets to control the earth thermostat.

jaackf,

EPA… EPA

mudeth,

My friend made a podcast episode exploring this idea in detail: m.youtube.com/watch?v=xj5r6HLGfcM

Disclaimer: I edited it.

figaro,

Awesome, I’ll check it out!

Pro75357,

There are probably better ways to block out the sun. Glass is heavy and would cause a lot of problems. Something that floats high in the sky would be better, but it would unfortunately move with the wind and weather. If you could get something big enough to space, in a geosynchronous orbit, it just might work…

ChemicalRascal,
ChemicalRascal avatar

A large swarm of satellites, forming an adjustable solar shade, sitting around L1 for Earth-Sun is likely the best approach we would have. The swarm wouldn't be in a geosynchronous orbit, though, but instead a heliosynchronous one.

Unanimous_anonymous,

Wouldn’t anything sizable enough to make a noticeable difference immediately act like a solar kite and be wisked off into space, L1 or not? They’d have to all have force sources(ionic engines or something) to counteract the force. I wonder how practical something like that would even be on something of that scale. Interesting to think about.

ChemicalRascal,
ChemicalRascal avatar

Whisked off into space by what, exactly?

CopernicusQwark,

Solar wind

ChemicalRascal,
ChemicalRascal avatar

Solar wind is not going to just yeet stuff around like that. It'll have some sort of impact, but it's not like, you know, actual wind.

CopernicusQwark,

For something that is positioned at L1 for an indefinite amount of time, with a large enough area to be effective as a solar shroud, it'll definitely have an impact.

That kind of shroud is effectively a solar sail without the ship attached.

Track_Shovel,

Ever fry an ant under a magnifying glass? That.

intensely_human,

Oh gosh I’ve always wanted to be at the focal point of something!

Admetus,

And seen through the social lens.

intensely_human,

I’m on fire baby!

housepanther,

I would say no because you would still cause a heat island effect from the glass. You would however reduce solar radiation.

HappyMeatbag,
@HappyMeatbag@beehaw.org avatar

Yeah, it would definitely rain inside the dome.

Source: my dad. He was in the Air Force, and once worked in a giant aircraft hangar that was big enough to accommodate an airship. He told me that the hangar had its own “weather”, and conditions inside the hangar were announced like weather forecasts.

That was only one hangar. Even though it was uncommonly large, it wasn’t nearly as big a city block.

On an unrelated note, I wonder how long it would take the inside of the dome to get filthy from things like exhaust.

jeffw,

So instead of letting all our methane and CO2 escape into our atmosphere, you want to check notes create a bubble filled with farts and car emissions that can never escape?

CmdrShepard,

create a bubble filled with farts and car emissions that can never escape?

What a man likes to do in his garage is his own business.

AngryHumanoid,

Technically speaking this would make it easier to filter and cleanse the (concentrated) bad air inside the dome. It’s not feasible for a bunch of other reasons, but this one we at least have the technology to handle right now. Maybe not at the volume needed but that’s a different issue too.

scottmeme,

Would they also have the ability to be launched into space?

intensely_human,

why not

Phantom_Engineer,
@Phantom_Engineer@lemmy.ml avatar

Pretty sure this would make things worse. The dome would block out the jet stream making any rain minimal, and, even if tinted, the dome might actually focus the sun’s energy on the city.

Dubious_Fart,

Gods magnifying glass, and we’re all the ants.

spacedancer,

I feel like this will just accelerate warming even more, just even more concentrated. You’re basically making smaller greenhouse effect situations instead of the entire planet.

XiELEd,

Yay decentralisation…?

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