Civilization has reached such a level of development when the energy produced by humanity (the energy of civilization) begins to become a noticeable addition to the energy of incoming solar radiation. The energy of ci...Civilization has reached such a level of development when the energy produced by humanity (the energy of civilization) begins to become a noticeable addition to the energy of incoming solar radiation. The energy of civilization accumulates in the surface layer, where human activity is concentrated, and dissipates in the form of heat, causing a rise in temperature. An equation is derived to calculate the contribution of civilization’s energy to global warming, which prove to be directly proportional to the accumulated energy of civilization and inversely proportional to the energy of solar radiation on the earth’s surface to the power of three-fourths. The coefficient of proportionality is expressed in terms of fundamental physical constants: Planck’s constant, the speed of light and the Boltzmann constant. It is shown that the contribution of energy of civilization is comparable with the role of increasing concentration of carbon dioxide over the past decades. To mitigate the negative effect, it is necessary to reduce the energy production and partially revise the environmental policy.展开更多
The thermodynamic approach to the evolution of human society shows that the energy generated by civilization disrupts the thermal balance of the Earth. This energy did not exist before the advent of civilization;it pr...The thermodynamic approach to the evolution of human society shows that the energy generated by civilization disrupts the thermal balance of the Earth. This energy did not exist before the advent of civilization;it practically does not affect the thermal radiation of the planet and dissipates in the atmosphere in the form of heat, increasing the kinetic energy of gas molecules and, consequently, their temperature. Since air molecules cannot leave the Earth due to gravity, excess heat accumulates on the planet and contributes to global warming. A quantitative assessment of the effect is given. An analogy can be made: the energy generated by humanity heats the atmosphere, as a furnace heats a dwelling.展开更多
文摘Civilization has reached such a level of development when the energy produced by humanity (the energy of civilization) begins to become a noticeable addition to the energy of incoming solar radiation. The energy of civilization accumulates in the surface layer, where human activity is concentrated, and dissipates in the form of heat, causing a rise in temperature. An equation is derived to calculate the contribution of civilization’s energy to global warming, which prove to be directly proportional to the accumulated energy of civilization and inversely proportional to the energy of solar radiation on the earth’s surface to the power of three-fourths. The coefficient of proportionality is expressed in terms of fundamental physical constants: Planck’s constant, the speed of light and the Boltzmann constant. It is shown that the contribution of energy of civilization is comparable with the role of increasing concentration of carbon dioxide over the past decades. To mitigate the negative effect, it is necessary to reduce the energy production and partially revise the environmental policy.
文摘The thermodynamic approach to the evolution of human society shows that the energy generated by civilization disrupts the thermal balance of the Earth. This energy did not exist before the advent of civilization;it practically does not affect the thermal radiation of the planet and dissipates in the atmosphere in the form of heat, increasing the kinetic energy of gas molecules and, consequently, their temperature. Since air molecules cannot leave the Earth due to gravity, excess heat accumulates on the planet and contributes to global warming. A quantitative assessment of the effect is given. An analogy can be made: the energy generated by humanity heats the atmosphere, as a furnace heats a dwelling.
