How can one molecule of CO2 heat up 10,000 molecules of N2 and O2 in the atmosphere? 5.6.24 (Gerard Rennick)

In estimates I asked the Chief Scientist how heat was transferred from CO2 to N2 and O2, the two molecules that make up around 99% of the atmosphere.

I asked this, because this is the basis on which billions (if not trillions before it’s ended) are being spent to justify tearing down our home made base load energy grid in favour of foreign made renewables.

I got a word salad in reply and I’m afraid to say the answer to the Question on Notice was also a word salad, that did not answer how CO2 transfers heat.

Climate alarmists argue that the increase in CO2 in the atmosphere has increased the temperature by at least a degree resulting in climate change that will cause global boiling.

They call the increase of CO2 the greenhouse gas effect. This in itself is oxymoronic because CO2 is a gas and a greenhouse is a solid. Solids trap convection or more specifically a greenhouse traps rising thermals generated as the sun heats the air inside the greenhouse.

In the atmosphere there is no solid object that stops hot air from rising. You can easily see that by observing the clouds especially cumulonimbus clouds. Similar phenomena is observed as steam rises out of a boiling jug or an air balloon rises as heat is pumped into it.

But back to the question. How does CO2 transfer heat to N2 and O2? The latter two molecules are transparent to radiation so the only way they can get hotter is if they collide with CO2 atoms. In order to adhere to the first principle of thermodynamics and Newton’s third law of motion energy must be conserved.

So any energy transferred to N2 or O2 molecules will result in a loss of energy from the CO2 molecule. Assuming the same weight, in order for 1 molecule to heat 10,000 molecules by 1 degree that one molecule must be 10,000 degrees as it will lose energy every time it collides with another molecule. CO2 is 1.53 times heavier than N2/O2 so it only needs to be 6600 degrees. This is still hotter than the Sun and is therefore impossible.

Furthermore as the following article states, gases are poor conductors of heat:

“Gases are poor conductors of heat because their particles are widely spaced, reducing the frequency of collisions and energy transfer.

In solids, the particles are closely packed together, which allows for easy and quick transfer of energy from one particle to another. This is why solids are generally good conductors of heat.
However, in gases, the particles are far apart from each other. This wide spacing means that the particles have to travel greater distances to collide with each other and transfer energy. As a result, the process of energy transfer is much slower in gases, making them poor conductors of heat.

The process of heat conduction in gases is also affected by the low density of gases. The density of a substance is directly related to the number of particles present in a given volume. Since gases have a low density, they have fewer particles in a given volume compared to solids or liquids.
This further reduces the frequency of collisions and hence the rate of energy transfer. Moreover, gases are poor conductors of heat because they have a low specific heat capacity.
Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of a substance by one degree Celsius.

Gases generally have a lower specific heat capacity than solids or liquids, which means they require less heat to increase their temperature. This property makes them less effective at conducting heat.
In addition, the random and rapid motion of gas particles also contributes to their poor heat conduction.

Unlike in solids where particles vibrate around fixed positions, gas particles move freely and randomly. This random motion means that even when a particle gains energy and moves faster, it may not necessarily collide with another particle to transfer that energy. Instead, it might just move away, carrying the energy with it. This randomness in motion further slows down the process of energy transfer, making gases poor conductors of heat.

In conclusion, the wide spacing of particles, low density, low specific heat capacity, and random motion of particles in gases all contribute to their poor heat conduction.”

- Why are gases poor conductors of heat? | TutorChase

Long story short, scientists can’t explain how CO2 can transfer significant amounts of heat to the rest of atmosphere because it doesn’t in fact do that. The Greenhouse Gas Effect is a lie.



Perhaps the most revealing point was when the Chief Scientist said that they knew the CO2 was hiving an effect from the extreme weather. An honest appraisal of the weather shows that it's not extreme compared to the past. There is no increase in cyclone frequency or intensity. So the increased CO2 is not driving the climate. You don't have to go into detail about how things may theoretically work because we can see the end result. Zero impact.

[Posted at the SpookyWeather2 blog, August 9, 2024.]