"Makhno" wrote

The current answer to the last question isn't magnets but .. lasers.
Free Electron lasers beam power to the climber, which converts the
energy into mechanical energy (wheels or treads). IIRC, a FEL has
been designed that can do the job.

If the elevator continues to stretch out way beyond the balance point,
at a certain length if we cut the anchors on Earth, it would float out
away from Earth, wouldn't it? If the center of mass is at escape
velocity for it's orbit altitude, the whole thing will float away.

So we can use that capability by just tossing off mass at a much greater
altitude (thereby slowing the Earth's rotation) and using that to lift
the elevator. via a long cable loop. We could toss off bags of water, or
something else that would disperse and cause no harm.