Can a Ring Around Earth Stop Its Rotation?

[D9 XTC]

OK, so let's say there was a ring around Earth (imagine the video game Halo). Extending from the Earth are huge cables that greet the ring (space elevator). This ring surrounding Earth would have magnets lining the entire structure. The cables would have wire wrapped end to end so that was the Earth rotates it passes the wire through the magnetic field of the ring. Pretty much it's a huge planet sized generator.

Would this eventually cause the Earth to stop spinning?

 

[JaredJames]

No. The ring itself would begin rotating and eventually match the speed of the earth.

The Earth would slow down ever so slightly though.

 

[D9 XTC]

Ah both are bad.

 

[JaredJames]

Both are bad? Both what?

 

[D9 XTC]

I'm guessing if the Earth slows down that might throw off a lot of the world's natural rhythms and if the ring spun that would ruin the idea of making a giant generator.