7 Big Projects for a Better World - James Powell - Bog

70,000 years ago, there were only 7,000 homo sapiens -wise man" - in the world. Today, there are 7 Billion "wise men". 30 years from now, potentially 9 Billion, 80 years from now, at the end of the 21st century, 11 Billion. Are we wise enough to survive? Given our present course - climate change, increasing droughts and crop failures, depleting fossil fuels, etc, probably not.Modern civilization rests on 3 fundamental pillars to maintain long-term sustainability: -Massive energy input-Ample food and water-Fast, cheap, efficient transportation7 Big Projects describes 3 new technologies that will ensure that modern civilizations and Billions of people will continue to grow an even better World and life:1.Provide unlimited, clean, very low cost beamed power from space solar satellites, eliminating fossil fuels, avoiding environmental catastrophe, the solar satellites would be launched into orbit, using StarTram, a Maglev launch system much cheaper than rockets.2.Desalinate ocean water to massive supplies of clean, very cheap freshwater regions, enabling large healthy food crops, the new technology uses large thermally insulated very low cost floating ice islands and ocean thermal energy to generate electric power and fresh water. Large insulated ice islands can also provide low-cost floating cities, as well as protective barriers for coastal cities against hurricanes and rising sea levels.3.Magnetically levitated transport (Maglev) 2nd Generation technology can provide very low cost, 300 mph energy efficient transport for passengers, cars and heavy freight trucks. The 30,000 mile U.S. National Maglev Network described in 7 Big Projects will save 10's of thousands of American lives per year, now lost on U.S. highways, plus hundreds of Billions of dollars annually. Also described in the Global Maglev Network that will connect North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia into a network that will carry people, vehicles, and cargo.