Due to global climate change scientist predict the earth’s atmospheric temperature will increase as much as 8°F in the next 100 years.
Estimate the overall energy increase [kJ] in the atmosphere this temperature rise will cause. Consider the thickness of the atmosphere and its density variations to get a more accurate answer.
While space is much cooler the average energy flux from the sun that is captured in the atmosphere keeps the planet from transferring all its heat to space. If we could build a refrigeration system which pumped the heat from the earth out into space with a COP of 1.5 how much power would it require bringing the earth’s temperature back down to the current temperatures in 1 year?
If the power for this cycle were produced by a heat engine with a thermal efficiency of 50% how much more power would be required to pump out the waste heat from the power plant along with the original (8°F temperature rise) excess atmospheric heat in one year’s time.