3 ms·
Not even close to the heat generated by the sun's light hitting the earth. Orders of magnitude different. We currently generate most of this power in exactly t
by mabbo 4y ago
Not even close to the heat generated by the sun's light hitting the earth. Orders of magnitude different.
We currently generate most of this power in exactly the same way, but by burning coal and gas to make heat rather than by nuclear fusion.
The difference would be that no CO2 is released with a fusion power plant.
- Schroedingersat 4y agoCurrent primary energy is ~35TW. Total insolation is around 150PW 5W/m^2 or 0.5% is enough forcing to be catastrophic which puts us roughly in the 20x current consumption or 2100-2140 range if we don't stop growth. So yes. We're in exactly the same position now WRT heat as we were when scientists first started warning about greenhouse gases. Ironically switching to PVs and starting the transition was an option then too even though the first commercial PVs were thought to be thermoelectric. We can all live well, but we can't all live in an air conditioned uninsulated mcmansion with a 9 tonne electric suv each going everywhere via highway and throwing out half our appliances which we move by truck every year.