3 ms·
Is not the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics always circumvented on Earth? We absorb more energy in the form of light from the sun than we emit.
by IBCNU 10y ago
Is not the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics always circumvented on Earth? We absorb more energy in the form of light from the sun than we emit.
- snowwrestler 10y agoWe're currently absorbing very slightly more energy that we emit. We call it global warming. Other than that, output balances input. The atmosphere is a heat reservoir, but just like a water reservoir behind a dam, that doesn't mean it's ever-rising. Energy flows in one side and out the other, but between the two there is room for life.
- btilly 10y agoThe second law is not violated because the Earth is not a closed system. Also to a very good approximation, we emit what we absorb. When averaged over a long period, that approximation gets better. (It has been somewhat worse over the last century though.)