With China’s growing population and increasing urban space, the cost of electricity is rising in the cities.
As a solution, China’s government is planning to create an artificial moon to reduce the amount of electricity needed in urban areas. This artificial moon is a satellite, covered in a material that will reflect the sun’s rays.
The moon is scheduled to launch from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in 2020 and light Chengdu, a city located in the Sichuan Province. If the first one proves successful, more may be launched into space.
But for now, the artificial moon is still going through testing. While there are many benefits, such as saving 1.2 billion yen on electricity per year (the moon is predicted to be around eight times brighter), many scientists have spoken up an argued that creating more artificial light is harmful to the environment. As light pollution is a growing concern in our increasingly modern world (threatening and altering the breeding cycle of many species), the extra bright light may be even worse than the bright street lamps that we use now.
What do you think of China's plan? Is it a good idea?