So my question is "why wouldn't this just rip in half from the forces it's under?"
The upward force for the 20m chimney is calculated at ~600 tons. 600 tons is not a lot for a building to support in the downward direction, but quite a bit for a fabric tube to support, in tension. It's the rope/(space) elevator problem - you need a super material to handle that much force, don't you?
But aside from worrying that our wacky inflatable tube of death will rip free from its tethers and tumble freely in the wind, killing thousands, I actually really like this idea, as geo-engineering. It is a process that can be stopped and started relatively cheaply, unlike a lot of other proposals. If the tube has unforseen effects, it could be deflated and reeled in, unlike eg throwing particulate into the upper atmosphere.
The upward force for the 20m chimney is calculated at ~600 tons. 600 tons is not a lot for a building to support in the downward direction, but quite a bit for a fabric tube to support, in tension. It's the rope/(space) elevator problem - you need a super material to handle that much force, don't you?
But aside from worrying that our wacky inflatable tube of death will rip free from its tethers and tumble freely in the wind, killing thousands, I actually really like this idea, as geo-engineering. It is a process that can be stopped and started relatively cheaply, unlike a lot of other proposals. If the tube has unforseen effects, it could be deflated and reeled in, unlike eg throwing particulate into the upper atmosphere.