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Brian R Smith's avatar

For a heat source comparison to Hiroshimas, the blast furnace disgorging molten pig iron at ~2000ºC, unlike microwave ovens or idling engines, comes with direct visual "proof," the images we've all seen of threatenly white hot liquid iron pouring out. Our shared reaction to this is deeply visceral. I can't do the math but X number of blast furnaces per second equivalent is going to be convincing – as in frightening.

Jane van Dis's avatar

Love the hair dryer analogy Eliot! Is there a window closing somewhere on our opportunity to decrease the EEI? ;-)

Trimi Shala's avatar

Ok, but how many “rapidly closing window of opportunities” are we talking about here? 😂

Hope you are doing as well as possible, Professor ❤️ Thank you for everything!

Wayne Stiles's avatar

Thanks for stepping up, you are my go-to guy now that Richard Crim has passed. He was the only one that actually sketched it out for us non-technical people and showed us plainly why scientists made the predictions they made.

Prof. Eliot Jacobson's avatar

Richard Crim passed away? Wow, that's news I had not heard. Sad. RIP.

Wayne Stiles's avatar

Over a month ago, he was eulogized over at r/collapse. All deniers could do was to criticize his “style,” never the content.

David Krieger's avatar

And point is the oceans are near their capacity to absorb heat? So we might want to prepare for increased rate of Iand heating OR oceans so warm, no life, no food

David Krieger's avatar

1.4 watts per sq.metre then you use squares 27x27 feet= 729 sq feet which is 67+ sq metres and you lost me

Prof. Eliot Jacobson's avatar

1.486 w/m² means 100/1.486 = 67.29 square meters for 100 Watts. And 67.29 square meters is 724.3 square feet, so just under 27×27 = 729 feet.

mikeCaeLlwyd's avatar

Love it. Thanks Elliot.

Should you run the end numbers again, other metrics to hook people in might be:

Transportation - maybe miles flown p/day p/p, or miles driven

2kW kettles boiled - for tea drinkers!

Mobile phones recharged - apparently there are almost as many phones as there are people!

nuttavut's avatar

I am wondering if this EEI number take day and night hours into calculation? The earth does not get solar radiation energy during the night. Or the EEI number is measured during the day and balance out in 24 hours.

Robert O Eagan Jr's avatar

Puts the data into perspective. It looks like the next 5 years are going to make the ‘hoax’ undenialble.

Geoffrey Deihl's avatar

Global warming has been compared to atom bombs many times. I think it's a useful comparison, but also perhaps beyond the grasp of our minds, so stunning as to cause disbelief among some. I wonder if there's a different measure that could also be effective?

Greta de la Montagne's avatar

Maybe calculate the heat emitted by the number (millions?) of car engines idling at stoplights in crowded cities, I think people could relate to that?

Geoffrey Deihl's avatar

Seems like a relatable idea.

Eric Taborek's avatar

I think it is a useful metric for that reason. Maybe this will be the type of shock that will one day soon ( probably just after a major eco disaster ) make people wake up and stop the madness. Elect new leaders etc.

Prof. Eliot Jacobson's avatar

Maybe you didn't read to the end?

Geoffrey Deihl's avatar

If I missed something, I apologize. I write here on overshoot and climate change, too. The reading and research is never done.

Egg's avatar

The hair dryer comparison is the one that works best for me. Easiest to grasp and is properly alarming.

Geoffrey Deihl's avatar

I'm not familiar with that one. Got a link?

Manuel E's avatar

Just scroll to the end of the article to find the hair dryer comparison and more...

Geoffrey Deihl's avatar

I properly read to the end of the article, interesting alternative comparisons and apologies to Eliot for not following it to the end. I am suffering from info overload. Eliot, would have loved it if you introduced alternative measurements at the beginning, just a suggestion.

Diane's avatar

49 hair dryers. I don't have that many hands.