Climate Change Is Caused By…..Say What?
One of the dominant features of life in 2018 is that so much of what we see around us has both tragic and comedic value. Take this video in which Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate and thug moron Scott Wagner is challenged by a young lady for his absurd position on climate change (i.e., that it’s caused by the heat emitted from people’s bodies).
It’s hard to imagine being in that room and not bursting into hysterics, yet the guy is as serious as a heart attack.
In shouting her down, he correctly points out that they are all there to elect a governor, not a scientist. But why would anyone want a governor stupid enough to insist on such an asinine idea? Wouldn’t anyone with an IQ over 75 simply go along with what scientists have to say on a scientific matter? What’s the upside in his going so far out of his way to destroy every shred of his credibility?
Scott: As long as you’ve chosen to go full-on idiot, here’s a suggestion that covers all your bases: climate change is caused by illegal immigration and gun control, all covered up by Hillary’s emails.
Oh my. They just get dumber.
I guess they have to. If they didn’t fully abandon all thought and reason, then they couldn’t remain loyal to their party… but there is a point where everything they say is just so stupid that it no longer is worth any consideration at all.
It DID, however, make me wonder… how much heat is emitted from human bodies?
If we assume the average human burns ~1000 Wh/d, that would give us ~42W of heat for an average human being.
At 7.6 billion people, that gives us a total of ~319 GW of heating.
Then you take the ~510 trillion m3 surface area of the Earth, and you get ~0.00062 W/m.
Of course, then you assume half of that produced energy is radiated away from Earth, while only half is radiated downward and factored into the surface temperature warming, so you get ~0.00031 W/m.
Of course, that is not considering the amount of displaced animal and plant biomass that otherwise would have been present without the growing human population, which otherwise would have also produced some heat… But regardless, a total human “input” for the system should be ~0.00031 W/m.
Observed climate forcing has been occurring at ~2.8 W/m2. Or roughly 10,000 times the gross human input.
Again, this isn’t a reflection of NET forcing… just the gross input, while the 2.8 W/m2 is Net forcing.
For reference, of course, the average insolation for any particular m2 of Earth’s surface is ~250 W/m2.
I’m actually surprised. The GOP dunce is only off by ~six orders of magnitude… or about a million-fold. I suppose that isn’t so bad by the standards of idiocy exhibited by today’s GOP.
It’s funny; I was thinking about too. But aren’t you assuming that all the chemical energy we ingest turns into heat? What the work we do in all its various forms, even at the cellular level?
Craig,
Eventually, it all turns to H20 and CO2, and the energy is released.
😉
I know all the energy is released, but as heat? What about transporting stuff back and forth across cell membranes? Lifting water of a well?
Of course, the funny part of this is that this jackass feels equipped to offer his theory. Isn’t he embarrassed? I wouldn’t know how to find the words to tell an audience that nail clippings make good baby food or something like that.
Craig,
I’ve actually met Scott Wagner and he’s far from being a “moron” in many areas. He was one of the individuals I met during my US “Odyssey” and I can attest he’s also a generous, humorous host with a warm and engaging personality.
He’s typical of many single minded people who have a useful, but narrow skill set. Within their chosen fields these people are not only knowledgeable, but successful and astute.
The problem begins when they stray out of their area of expertise and try to make up for feeling inadequate due to a lack of broader education by adopting simplistic beliefs and pseudo-science.
It’s an equally sad fact that as regrettable as Scott’s opinions are, after listening to a John Oliver tirade,I want Scott to be proven right !
I don’t call the 38% of US citizens who support creationism, “morons” or delight in vicious put downs of their beliefs. Mostly, I find such folks kindly, good neighbors who love their children.
I’m sure the the more these sort of folks are derided and bullied by smart-arses, the less likely they will be to change their opinions and appreciate alternate explanations.
Would I vote for Scott, or think he should receive the GOP gubernatorial nomination, of course not ! But as a citizen, he’s entitled to his opinion.
What would surprise many of his detractors, is Scott’s extensive knowledge and progressive views on disposal of waste material. A long time exponent of recycling he’s one of the foremost and innovative experts on the problems of this difficult industry in the US.
Scott Wagner has for many years operated Penn Waste Inc, recognized as model employer and successful waste management company. The employees of his other major enterprise, KBS trucking, speak highly of him, both as an employer and human being.
Perhaps it also safe to say Scott Wagner is the product of flawed education system.
I believe the negative attitude toward understanding and appreciating the challenges presented by the complexities of climate change, have been largely created by overly enthusiastic climate change advocates,zealots and fanatics using Climate Science as a method of belittling others while indulging their own egos !
It seems civil, gentile debate and a safe environment where views can be exchanged without resorting to vicious name calling, has been become a lost art, just as the importance of understanding and empathy for those with dissenting opinions has also disappeared.
The fashion now is to deride, provoke and aggravate to gain the admiration of a mob of fellow travelers, who think political discourse is merely yelling the loudest and most offensive abuse.
Very sad times !
Oh, and incidentally, when designing for refrigerated air-conditioning, it’s standard practice to calculate 180 watts per adult of heat emitted.
If the earth really did move closer to the sun, global warming would certainly become a problem ! The earth’s orbit does affect the planet’s climate, but isn’t a factor of significance in the current climate change dynamics.
As I say, the main problem is one of education.