Thermodynamics and Global Warming?

Question

If the second law of thermodynamics prohibits carbon dioxide from arresting or reversing the spontaneous downhill flow of energy:

How can it "trap" heat and thus creat global warming?

Answer 1

CO2 traps heat in the infrared as others have said, but it only traps infrared in three small bands, in which it competes with water vapor, the most important and abundant greenhouse gas. If you look on the image below the blue energy or outgoing band of radiation, CO2 only has one band that can interact, but is overlapped substantially by water vapor, the whole AGW theory is such a bad patched up mess, it's pathetic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Atmos...

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Answer 2

You give the answer yourself when you say "If...". The answer is that the the second law of thermodynamics does NOT prohibit carbon dioxide from arresting or reversing the spontaneous downhill flow of energy.

There are many situations where entropy is decreased - e.g. boiling a kettle. The error in your statement is in assuming that this is an example of an isolated system whereas the 'law' is that the entropy of an isolated system which is not in equilibrium will tend to increase over time.

False assumptions leads to false conclusions.

However, at least this is an intelligent statement, unlike ifoyo who continues to foam and sputter like an underwater volcano with the same effect upon the ice caps - i.e. nothing!Even his own links refute what he claims. See http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...

Answer 3

Pay no attention to those believer hypocrites who want to insult you for asking an intelligent question.  The definition of an intelligent question is one that you're not sure what the answer is.  

The second law of thermodynamics says that all processes proceed in one direction.  Heat flows from a hot object to a cold object, never the reverse.  While it is not possible to make heat flow from cold to hot, it is possible to slow down heat transfer without contravening the second law of thermodynamics.  

The greenhouse effect may not be proven but it is well established science that the Earth warms because some of the radiant heat from the Earth is absorbed by the atmosphere.  Skeptical researchers are not questioning the established science about the greenhouse effect.

What alarmists take on faith is that the amount if CO2 we are putting into the atmosphere is enough to cause significant warming when science doesn't support that.

Answer 4

All the above is well and good.  But now comes the info that there has been since 1999, volcanic eruptions and lava oozing from a rift under the Arctic Sea.  A MILE WIDE and many miles long.  Observed and recorded by the NOAA ships.  The ice has melted away since it started.  Considering warm water rises and expels CO2 (like warm soda pop), Al Gore's due another award.  The dunz of the Year.  As the lava cools down the ice is reforming.  ty very much.

Answer 5

it doesn't "trap" heat.

CO2 interacts with radiation of specific energy levels.

not light, not ultraviolet

CO2 interacts with infrared radiation.

it absorbs, then re-radiates infrared radiation.

when it re-radiates infrared, it's in a random direction.

some of it heads back toward earth.

as compared with light, which passes through unimpeded.

in general, when your talking about such, the law implies a closed system.  which you don't have in this case.

Answer 6

If the second law of thermodynamics prohibits the arrest or reversal of the spontaneous downhill flow of energy so heat can not be trapped, why do the blankets on my bed  keep me warm on a cold night?

And why do some skeptics get it so wrong when it comes to basic science?

Answer 7

There is such a thing as Global Warming (which is why there is not one scientific publication ever that opposes the idea of global warming and that it isn't a natural cycle)  and if you haven't seen or read the "Inconvenient Truth" then you religious fascist cant talk. (The two idiots above me). Watch the movie the Inconvenient truth and you will learn anything and everything you ever wanted to about Global Warming

Answer 8

There is no such thing as Global Warming, just natural ebbs in the world's climate.  One big Volcano will actually reverse any global warming trend, and then it will start all over again.  Man has not been keeping temperature records long enough to know what the Earth's natural cycles really are.  Global Warming is just another scare tactic that Special Interest, and some Governments, use to control the Masses and get their way.

Answer 9

There is no concrete evidence that says CO2 is connected to global warming except that it goes up when the Earth warms. This would seem to be a clear indicator that it causes the warming but it might be the other way around. Mankind still needs a lot of vital information before any definite answer can be given. Everyone and anyone who says they are absolutely sure one way or another is either lying or delusional.

One cannot underestimate what mankind is doing to the Earth and no one should take a propaganda-esk documentary to be the law of the land. Yes, I said the An Inconvenient Truth is propaganda-esk. It makes scientific claims without considering the opposition. Any scientist giving such a presentation in front of the scientific community would lose all credit for not giving some credit to the opposition and having ways to refute said opposition or accepting some holes in the presentation.

However, the public doesn't care about impartiality. They want for-sure answerers and no such answer can be given to them from the scientific community so Al Gore took it upon himself to bend the truth to get the public riled up. This isn't necessarily bad as it has made people more environmentally oriented... but it isn't science.

The answer to your question... the affects of CO2 on the environment of Earth are not well known.

Answer 10

It is a complete myth that CO2 is causing global warming.

Global warming is a natural cyclical occurance and no government can legislate to do anything about it.

Answer 11

CO2 is transparent to visible light, but it absorbs strongly in the infrared.

The Sun (and any object at 6000 K) emits most strongly in the visible range. The Earth (and any object at 285 K) emits most strongly in the infrared.

So sunlight comes through the atmosphere, passing right through the CO2, and warms the Earth. The Earth needs to get rid of that energy to remain in thermal equilibrium, and it radiates it away in the infrared. But some of that infrared is re-absorbed by the CO2 (and other greenhouse gases) in the air, and that causes the CO2 molecule to either warm up, or to re-emit that radiation in a random direction. About half of that randomly re-emitted radiation goes back down to the surface and warms the surface of the earth.