[ RadSafe ] ...- CO2 consequences

[Michael McNaughton]

Physics detail: the earth loses heat by radiation, which is proportional to 
the absolute temperature to the fourth power, T^4 (Stefan-Boltzmann Law). 
Therefore, if the input power increases by 0.2%, which means a factor of 
1.002, the temperature will increase by 1.002^0.25 = 1.0005.

At 08:37 AM 09/12/2006, Mercado, Don wrote:
>  Back of an envelope calculation: Earth is estimated to have warmed 0.6 
> °C ± 0.2 °C so all we need to do is divide the estimated temperature 
> increment by Earth's temperature (288 K) and times by 100 to get the 
> percentage increment thus: 0.6 (K)/288 (K) x 100 = 0.2%. So, the sun is 
> 0.2% more energetic and conveniently the planet's temperature is believed 
> to have increased 0.2%. Solar influence explains the entire change, now 
> everyone's content the global warming thing has been solved, right? No? 
> Us neither, although solar variance seems a likely candidate for at least 
> a portion of the apparent change."

Mike McNaughton
Los Alamos National Lab.
email: mcnaught at LANL.gov or mcnaughton at LANL.gov
phone: 505-667-6130; page: 505-664-7733