Jed Rothwell wrote: ... > Solar energy intercepted by earth: 10E17 W Let me see, pi*r^2 times 1kW/m^2, that's 3.14*(6E6)^2*1E3 ~= 100E12*1E3 = 1E17 W, I guess that's what you meant.
> Total primary energy production: 12 TW = 1.2*10E13 W 1.2E13 W I guess (E stands for "times 10 to the power...") ... > If cold fusion increase our total primary energy production by an order of > magnitude it may start to have a serious effect on the environment. That's what I said, "unlimited cheap energy of non solar origin for the masses will necessarily promote global warming", but I had no idea the effect was that significant! The tenfold increase in global energy consumption you evoke would only mean 1.2E14/1E10 W = 12 kW for each of the ~10 billion humans the planet will bear in a few years, that's about the consumption per average US citizen _today_ isn't it? It seems this is a real problem. Have you worked out the amplitude of the global temperature increase in this scenario? Michel
