Dartmouth Events

Thayer School's Visionaries in Technology series honors engineers and scientists whose insights have benefited humanity through revolutionary engineering solutions, paradigm shifting scientific advances, novel fields of inquiry, or policy shaping debate.

Abstract: If predictions for global warming are even modestly true, its not the sky is falling that we will have to worry about, it will be that the oceans are rising! A two meter sea level rise in the next 50 years and the resulting economic catastrophe will present unprecedented challenges for civilization. On the other hand, the threat of ocean’s rising could catalyze a new renascence in terms of our economic structure and strategic defense strategies. Symbiotic relationships between energy systems and food production could make overall costs low and thus hasten development of low carbon footprint technologies. The oceans in particular represent a vast resource (and challenge) for humanity: Offshore wind turbines can harvest wind energy, and their base structures can also serve as platforms for wave energy systems and even uranium-from seawater harvesting systems. Renewable energy systems (solar PV and wind turbines) combined with pumped hydropower storage systems collocated with reverse osmosis plants located near the ocean could provide all the power and fresh water for places like LA, Lima, Abu Dhabi, and Tehran, for example.

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