[OT] waste heat (was Re: Halon dumps: a data point)

From: Eric Smith <eric_at_brouhaha.com>
Date: Fri Sep 15 19:44:18 2000

> How much power is required to heat the ocean by 1 degree C? At our
> current (exponentially increasing) rate of consumption of energy,
> how long will it take to heat the ocean?

The total water supply of the Earth is approximately 1.36x10^21 litres.

Our current rate of consumption of energy is NOT exponentially
increasing.

In 1997 (the most recent year for which I have information handy), the
total energy consumption was 376.8 "Quads" of energy. This is
376.8 quadrillion BTU (376.8x10^15).

Assuming all of the energy was used to heat the total water supply,
this would raise its temperature by 0.000070 degrees C.

Some not-entirely-trivial fraction of the 376.8 quads came directly
from solar energy, or indirectly (in the short term), as from wind
power. This energy would have been converted to heat even if we did
not put it to use, thus it doesn't contribute to global warming.
Received on Fri Sep 15 2000 - 19:44:18 BST