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

From: Sipke de Wal <sipke_at_wxs.nl>
Date: Sat Sep 16 02:22:57 2000

Let's not forget the earth/oceans radiate a lot of heat out to space
each night. (being hampered a litlle bit by all CO2 gas)

Sipke
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Eric Smith <eric_at_brouhaha.com>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 16, 2000 2:44 AM
Subject: [OT] waste heat (was Re: Halon dumps: a data point)


> > 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 Sat Sep 16 2000 - 02:22:57 BST