Video: The Goracle on geothermal temperatures
posted at 8:48 am on November 18, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Yesterday I featured the science stylings of John Kerry, who apparently can’t do math or research in his quest to sound like Chicken Little on carbon-dioxide emissions. The self-appointed dean of the American global-warming hysteria movement, Al Gore, didn’t do much better when trying to explain geothermal energy to Conan O’Brien. Gore tells Conan that geothermal energy is plentiful, because the Earth’s core temperature is millions of degrees (via John Derbyshire):
Conan: Now, what about … you talk in the book about geothermal energy …
Al: Yeah, yeah.
Conan: and that is, as I understand it, using the heat that’s generated from the core of the earth …
Al: Yeah.
Conan: … to create energy, and it sounds to me like an evil plan by Lex Luthor to defeat Superman. Can you, can you tell me, is this a viable solution, geothermal energy?
Al: It definitely is, and it’s a relatively new one. People think about geothermal energy — when they think about it at all — in terms of the hot water bubbling up in some places, but two kilometers or so down in most places there are these incredibly hot rocks, ’cause the interior of the earth is extremely hot, several million degrees, and the crust of the earth is hot …
The interior of the Earth is extremely hot … but as Derb notes, it’s estimated to be between 5000 – 9000 degrees Celsius, not “several million degrees.” The surface of the Sun is only estimated to be 6000º C, while its core really is several million degrees Celsius. If the Earth’s core temperature was that hot, we would have had a “global warming” crisis a few billion years ago, and this debate would never have taken place.
Of course, anyone who followed the controversy over Gore’s piece of cinematic fantasy An Inconvenient Truth knows that Gore tells a lot of very convenient untruths in his quest to create a market for his carbon-trading company. However, this is just flat-out ignorance that with any other person in any other context would destroy their credibility. This is worse than Tom Cruise telling Matt Lauer that he can debunk the entire psychiatric field because he’s read a few books. If Gore can’t get this rather basic fact right, why should he be believed on anything else in the energy field?
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: « Previous 1 2 3 Next »
It’s also high in estrogen, hence, liberal beta males abound.
Akzed on November 18, 2009 at 9:28 AM
That explains a lot.
milwife88 on November 18, 2009 at 9:30 AM
Maybe Gore is a victim, of sorts, of Obama’s reckless spending. We see bills proposed by the WH and Congress where the costs are measured in hundred billions or even trillions of dollars. These days, an amount that is merely in the millions sounds almost trivial, perhaps even small. So Gore, trying to make a point about the temperature of the Earth’s core, and of course not knowing what it really is, just tried to guess a number that was high but not sky high, and settled on millions. In any case, to the liberals only intentions matter, not facts or results.
jwolf on November 18, 2009 at 9:31 AM
He’s going to crack the Earth open and kill us all!!!!!!!
- The Cat
MirCat on November 18, 2009 at 9:31 AM
I wonder why Algore didn’t mention that Dubya has been using geothermal at his Crawford home for years?
Hmmmmm.
hillbillyjim on November 18, 2009 at 9:31 AM
JoeAvg on November 18, 2009 at 9:30 AM
See, it is that simple. Algore owes me his Nobel prize and a big fat check. I, single handedly, solved Global Warming and I am still in my jammies.
milwife88 on November 18, 2009 at 9:32 AM
The Science is settled!
/sarc
cs89 on November 18, 2009 at 9:32 AM
If I understood Gore correctly he is suggesting we should drill past the crust of the Earth (about 20-30 miles or so) to reach the mantle. Why would you do that? Besides the fact that we can’t get down that far (the world record is just over 7 miles, and the crust goes on for another 13 miles at least), going all the way down would be idiotic. The reason you ask? Why because doing so would allow the newly released magma access to the surface: instant volcano. The newly released magma would certainly heat your home to a cozy 2550 degrees. There wouldn’t be a massive explosion more like your average Hawaiian lava flow.
txaggie on November 18, 2009 at 9:32 AM
The science is in
Behavioral science is calling Algore out as a certified maroon!!!
seven on November 18, 2009 at 9:32 AM
FIFM.
BobOfTexas on November 18, 2009 at 9:32 AM
To bad we have so many koolaid drinkers that are dazzled by that Nobel Prize but then liberal just love awards that show how smart they are. Awards are very important to them to valid that they are as smart as they and I do mean only they think they are.
RagTag on November 18, 2009 at 9:33 AM
I would also like to add that vegitarians, in order to take in protien eat a lot of soy which for most people causes an uptick in farting. So in essence they are defeating their own cause.
milwife88 on November 18, 2009 at 9:26 AM
milwife88: Excellent point!
Where is the outrage of *hippies eating vegatables and fruit
probably gasing up planet earth with all thier farting,and
I bet,the hippes and newagers are the number 1 contributer
to the non-existent Global Warming scam!!!
And,to top it off,the media is silent!!(snark):)
*(Liberal Hippies).
canopfor on November 18, 2009 at 9:33 AM
It’s simple, these areas are either in Parks or protected areas compliments of the Enviro-Nazis.
thomasaur on November 18, 2009 at 9:34 AM
Excelsior!!!!
PimFortuynsGhost on November 18, 2009 at 9:34 AM
Is Al Gore registered in Washington D.C. as a progessional lobbyist?
If not, why not?
He is pushing ideas and legislation that he benefits from financially.
albill on November 18, 2009 at 9:35 AM
Algore: Hero of the Stupid.
JammieWearingFool on November 18, 2009 at 9:35 AM
Perfect!
katy the mean old lady on November 18, 2009 at 9:35 AM
Geochelone on November 18, 2009 at 9:28 AM
Dumb and dumber. Al Gore and the people who believe him.( they’ve made him rich! )
donh525 on November 18, 2009 at 9:36 AM
For all of his innaccuracies here, he fails to mention that real live access to the truly hot and thus truly useful geothermal energy is very limited to a tiny number of locations on the earth.
I don’t believe he had in mind the geothermal heat pump systems that ARE practical.
starman on November 18, 2009 at 9:36 AM
If Al Gore is dumb, how dumb is the UN?
donh525 on November 18, 2009 at 9:37 AM
35,000 year supply? Just in the US. . .
Ummmm Does he understand that this . . . I mean where do I begin?
Every country must have their own Earth’s Core. But alas, it will all end in 35,000 years. . . .
- The Cat
MirCat on November 18, 2009 at 9:38 AM
A challenge! I except!
First my team is unknown by anyone hear as I often claim all political ideologies just to bait people. Which worked in your case.
Second the FACT:
Do I need to also post the link to the video of him saying it?
RagTag on November 18, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Wouldn`t it be just as cheap,if 10 megaton warhead could
be detonated low into the earth,maybe under a lake,and channel the heat from the steam,and boiling water!
Just a thought!!(snark).
canopfor on November 18, 2009 at 9:39 AM
He shouldn’t.
Did you have a “hard” question?
hawkdriver on November 18, 2009 at 9:40 AM
C’mon people, Gore knows at least as much about energy as Obama knows about economics.
mr.blacksheep on November 18, 2009 at 9:40 AM
I’ve seen this in a movie. L.A. + Geothermal = Tommy Lee Jones, what were you thinking?
- The Cat
MirCat on November 18, 2009 at 9:42 AM
millions of degrees? Was the singularity at the beginning of the big bang even that hot?
jhffmn on November 18, 2009 at 9:42 AM
Let’s give ManBearPig the benefit of the doubt. He was probably talking Fahrenheit rather than celcius so several million or 16000 degrees, just a tiny difference.
/
Monica on November 18, 2009 at 9:42 AM
Do I need to also post the link to the video of him saying it?
RagTag on November 18, 2009 at 9:39 AM
RagTag: So are you saying its not 57 States,but actually,
after Obama added Alaska and Hawaii,its really 59
States!!
============================================================
I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go. Alaska and Hawaii,
canopfor on November 18, 2009 at 9:44 AM
Man that was harsh.
RagTag on November 18, 2009 at 9:44 AM
The CORE is several million degrees!?!?!
Quick, call Hillary Swank!
Nethicus on November 18, 2009 at 9:45 AM
But remember kids, not getting the oil out on your way down.
- The Cat
MirCat on November 18, 2009 at 9:45 AM
If Obama is the ‘Shiny One’ then Al Gore is surely the ‘Green One’.
What a idiot Gore is. He can talk till the cows come home but he will never change the fact that Earth goes through a natural cycle of warming and cooling.
Shogun144 on November 18, 2009 at 9:46 AM
Gore is a certifiable buffon, getting fat and richer by the day on made up bs. I do not think I’ve ever felt the way I feel about Gore, about anyone else. The only puzzle is how someone so stupid could have gone so far past his 30 minutes of fame.
Jimmy Carter doesn’t even astonish me to this degree.
ORconservative on November 18, 2009 at 9:47 AM
If Obama is the ‘Shiny One’ then Al Gore is surely the ‘Green One’.
What a idiot Gore is. He can talk till the cows come home but he will never change the fact that Earth goes through a natural cycle of warming and cooling.
Shogun144 on November 18, 2009 at 9:46 AM
Shogun144: That would mean,Predator Clinton would be
‘Bimbo One’!!:)
canopfor on November 18, 2009 at 9:49 AM
I believe that for most people the “I think” would more then qualify as another state from his perspective.
So he thinks there are 60 states not 57.
But if you are that critical I retract it and say.
BO never said 57 he said that he visited 57, thinks he has one left to go and didn’t visit Alaska and Hawaii which means BO, by his own words claims there are 59 or 60 states not the 57 alleged by people that want to make him look silly.
RagTag on November 18, 2009 at 9:50 AM
There are other types??? Isn’t that an oxymoron???
When did this happen?
BigWyo on November 18, 2009 at 9:52 AM
I wouldn’t go so far as to infer the laying of horizontal pipe at 2km from what Al Gore said. Geothermal fields can be vertical.
It’s the payback that makes it impractical in most environs. I don’t know about other regions of the country but here in the NE, geothermal horizontal fields are usually put in at a depth of 8 feet where the temperature is a consistent 55F.
On a technical level, it’s not impossible for city environs but like most other geothermal fields the initial cost and payback is what makes them infeasible.
Dusty on November 18, 2009 at 9:52 AM
Alexandre Dum-ass…
Roc on November 18, 2009 at 9:54 AM
True. More precisely, neither one knows very much about either topic. Not really so bad in Gore’s case, just embarrassing, since he does not hold office. Far more dangerous in the case of Obama.
jwolf on November 18, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Basic science my friend. If something is under high pressure and it is exposed to low pressure it will seek equilibrium. Shaken soda bottle concept except Gore wants to take the cap off of the bottle holding the 2500 degree soda. This happened in Iceland in 1977. They were drilling and hit a shallow magma pocket.
txaggie on November 18, 2009 at 9:59 AM
While I think Goracle wants to make himself rich in this scheme, his real motive is global governance, for surely that is the goal of the “warmers”. (Remember there are “truthers”, “birthers” and “warmers”.)
Christian Conservative on November 18, 2009 at 10:00 AM
It’s the latest fad for the elites. They become bored so easily, thus are easy prey for this type of scheme. They can use
theirour money to save the world. No sweat, just money. How they pity us commoners but see how they are willing to “sacrifice” for our welfare. While Al laughs all the way to the bank.donh525 on November 18, 2009 at 10:01 AM
Why, there’s your problem!
I am onboard now on this Global Warming thing. I call for rapid cooling of the Earth’s core! For the Children!
juanito on November 18, 2009 at 10:08 AM
Geez, Al. Nothing can diminish your argument faster than talking out of your ass. Don’t you know that by now?
I guess not, since you’ve gotten away with it for so long.
UltimateBob on November 18, 2009 at 10:10 AM
I live in MA and thought the 8 feet was right but was later informed that 18 to 20 was better for this area, southern MA, because of all the swampland. Although they said 8ft was fine for a lake. I do know that if I dig down 6 or 7 feet I hit water so I’m not sure of the viability of digging up a large area to a depth of 18 feet. In any case it was far more then I was willing to spend to lower my heating costs.
RagTag on November 18, 2009 at 10:18 AM
FIFY /7th grade
fossten on November 18, 2009 at 10:22 AM
Is there anything Al actually KNOWS or is he making it all up as he goes?
Penguin on November 18, 2009 at 10:23 AM
Yep, that Al Gore is an Idiot!
Hobbes on November 18, 2009 at 10:23 AM
The proper word to use whenever Gore is mentioned is L I A R.
Does anybody, even his supporters, think the man EVER tells the truth.
You can be a true believer in global warming, and you still KNOW that the guy is one of the biggest liars and con men of all time.
notagool on November 18, 2009 at 10:26 AM
Amazing. The gorebots won’t be able to dismiss that one as some kind of gaffe. Gore is toast.
Buddahpundit on November 18, 2009 at 10:26 AM
Al Gore is the greatest charlatan of all time. He makes Charles “Piltdown Man” Dawson look like a piker.
MB4 on November 18, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Al Gore is a scientific idiot but a financial genius. He makes money the old fashion way – through a massive con game. He puts Bernie Madoff to shame.
MB4 on November 18, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Yeah, but Uncle Al means well. So what if his facts are wrong.
BobMbx on November 18, 2009 at 10:31 AM
I think Al’s been getting stoned again and maybe picked up First Testament Bible and was reading about hell.
Reading Gideon’s after eating an entire pepperoni pizza and sucking down a few bong’s can be dangerous.
Shivas Irons on November 18, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Al obviously didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express.
stormin1961 on November 18, 2009 at 10:37 AM
You mean to tell me that the Divinity School dropout can’t do real science?
Nahhh.
jukin on November 18, 2009 at 10:38 AM
A lot of politicians, like Evan Bayh, parrot this nonsense for the sake of political expediency. It’s easier to spout crap than to do the math…as long as it appears to be popular crap. Once the majority turn against this particular glob of fecal matter, watch what happens to the opinions of these elites. But will it be too late by then?
SKYFOX on November 18, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Gore core brain measurement is room temperature.
profitsbeard on November 18, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Geothermal flopped in Hawaii in the 70s-80s. If you can’t get it to work on top of an active volcano, what makes this obese hypocrite think he can do it now?
What an arrogant jerk. Can’t get his facts right on a technology he *wrote* about and still believes he invented the web. Nice. Maybe he should grow back that beard he sprouted in 2001 to go with the 150 pounds he picked up.
the_souse on November 18, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Snake oil. Snake oil. Anybody wanna buy some snake oil?
LEBA on November 18, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Gore obviously never read “At The Earth’s Core” .
Everyone knows the center of the earth has its own inverted Jurassic Era world full of cave men and dinosaurs and telepathic lizard overlords.
(Maybe Al is one in disguise, just trying to fool us surface dwellers into destroying ourselves?)
profitsbeard on November 18, 2009 at 10:48 AM
When I rub my hands together they get warm. As soon as I receive my patent for this technology I expect the money to start rolling in.
fogw on November 18, 2009 at 10:50 AM
All this time we thought it was the sun which lit up the earth…and now Al Gore tells us that it’s the other way ’round!!!
Boy that Global Warming is powerful stuff!!! (especially after a few sips of 100 proof Liberalism)
landlines on November 18, 2009 at 10:51 AM
I thought it was eleventy billion degrees down there.
pseudonominus on November 18, 2009 at 10:52 AM
Gore is nothing more than the typical lying liberal hustler.
He is not going to let science or the facts get in the way of making his money off of his eco-fundamentalist movement.
Princeton Physicist Calls Global Warming Science “Mistaken”Scientist fired by Al Gore was told, “science will not intrude on public policy”.
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=13773
Remember…the smart ones say you can pollute all you want as long as you buy some carbon credits from business’s connected to Gore and his other eco-fundamentalist friends.
Baxter Greene on November 18, 2009 at 10:54 AM
Fellas, using this math, mine went out and got a job at Halliburton. It’s currently putting out fires, in Iraq. Meanwhile, I sit here with Cheney, counting the dollars and sipping tea from a geothermic kettle.
JCred on November 18, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Gawd!
Ever get the feeling that Al Gore spent waaaaaaaaay to much time watching to many 3rd rate sci fi movies on his Saturdays? He probably still does. What an imbecile. I’m pretty sure most kids past the third grade have this in their minds, from one or two science classes they’ve had. lol
capejasmine on November 18, 2009 at 10:59 AM
For Al, nothing about this, is for the good of mankind, environment, global warming, or public policy. For him, it’s ALL about how many $ are in his wallet.
capejasmine on November 18, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Well, in trying we might hit some pockets of oil or natural gas, those sure would come in handy!
4shoes on November 18, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Don’t forget the really, really hot cave babes in fur bikinis.
RagTag on November 18, 2009 at 11:10 AM
For all his faults, I’m damn glad that W was President.
PappaMac on November 18, 2009 at 11:12 AM
But our reality is that followers of this idiot are in control of our government, are destroying jobs and our economy, and are stealing our grandchildren’s future. We have to throw as many of them as possible out in November 2010.
GaltBlvnAtty on November 18, 2009 at 11:12 AM
For me the saddest and most depressing thing about the global warming hoax isn’t that a snake oil salesman like Al Gore promotes it to make money but that so many people BELIEVE it. If common sense doesn’t make you realize that GW is a ridiculous concept it seems like the hypocrisy of the environmental movement would clue you in. For people like Al Gore it’s about making money and for politicians it’s about money (in the form of new taxes) and power. How could anyone believe something so stupid? The earth warms, the earth cools. That’s how it’s always worked.
Lizzy on November 18, 2009 at 11:18 AM
It seems quite obvious to me that he is measuring the temperature in Courics. It’s a complicated math equation converting Courics to Kelvin, but utilizing the proper equipment, it’s quite possible that he’s dead on.
classicaliberal on November 18, 2009 at 11:20 AM
LMAO
nyx on November 18, 2009 at 11:22 AM
Logical fallacy much.. just because someone is wrong on one point doesn’t invalidate everything else they’ve ever said.
I mean, take politics. Say john mccain got one thing wrong about foreign relations on the campaign trail. Lets even say it was a pretty big one, too. Are we just going to discount his opinion from now on, on everything else?
triple on November 18, 2009 at 11:24 AM
This thread is gold. Well done!
nyx on November 18, 2009 at 11:26 AM
Not in Boise Idaho either. It worked fine for heat but it would not work for electrical generation reliably at the time. We left there in 98 but they were still trying to get electrical generation to work. If they do it will only work for places in Volcanic zones and even then only in places near active zones. 2KM my donky far more than that and we can not do that for now.
Many buildings and homes in Boise are heated by Geothermal. Even there, there were only some places where you could drill down and get hot water. The rocks are not incredibly hot 2KM down. Many mines go down 3 and 4 KM and hot is in the 100 – 120 deg. f. range.
Gore is so stupid he must think Geothermal Heat Pump means Geothermal Energy. Guess he never heard of the 4 KM high Rocky Mountians.
This quote was very wrong on Geothermal. He got nothing right.
Steveangell on November 18, 2009 at 11:35 AM
From earlier.
Besides we all know what The Penguin is really after.
Speakup on November 18, 2009 at 11:38 AM
Not so fast. Under certain conditions, rubbing thusly will produce little black balls of goo (we’ve all seen that). This is pollution.
You’ll need to file an Environmental Impact Statement, seek approval from the FDA (hand burns, blisters, etc..), provide disposal plans for used hands, calculate the carbon footprint used by each hand rubber, etc…
My guess is GreenPeace or the Sierra Club will sue you out of existence before you see the first dollar.
BobMbx on November 18, 2009 at 11:39 AM
This shouldn’t surprise anyone. “Global Warming” is a proven lie, which is why you never hear scientists out on the hysteria tours. Sure, plenty of them claim to buy in to it to keep the funding rolling in, but the “faces” of global warming are idiots like this guy who know nothing about science. Every time an actual scientist seems to enter the public debate it seems they are opposing this crap. It’s the same reason the UN’s IPCC is an “InterGOVERNMENTAL Panel”, not a scientific panel.
By the way, we can’t drill our own oil… but we can drill deeper to release gasses from an area we know nothing about, andthe environment will love it?
RightWinged on November 18, 2009 at 11:42 AM
Perhaps Ed’s phrase was less than a complete logical argument. This goes to credibility. If Gore does not care to know (or purposefully lies about) basic geologic facts (re: temperature) when espousing about geothermal energy, he ought to avoid public comments. As Steyn said in response to the OP, Gore profits handsomely from spinning nightmare tales of a possible increase in one degree in atmospheric temperature while not bothering to be in the correct ballpark when sharing his brilliance concerning temperature and energy alternatives (that hs is peddling as an alternative). Ed’s point is indisputible: Gore does not know much about temperature.
clorensen on November 18, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Should Gore be institutionalized in a mental facility or regular jail?
marklmail on November 18, 2009 at 11:46 AM
Oh my gosh, I’m moving to Mars immediately to cool off!
burt on November 18, 2009 at 11:49 AM
I’m both a strong economic conservative and an environmentalist. I feel it’s a tragedy that an asinine idiot like Al Gore has gotten so much attention for his ecological myth of global warming. The reason that the mainstream environmental movement wants to believe in global warming is that they see a chance to impose socialism and the mainstream of environmentalism is controlled by the left. This doesn’t mean that economic conservatism and environmentalism are impossible to reconcile. Of course, it does mean that some environmentally damaging economic activity will need to be regulated. Still, that regulation should always start in a correct understanding of economics–not the never-never lands of socialist fantasy.
thuja on November 18, 2009 at 11:55 AM
The Idaho State Capitol is heated by geothermal energy.
Actually, heat pump technology is useful, if costly in the short term. Anyone ever been into a cave? Nice and cool in the summer, warmer than the outside air in the winter. The only reason we didn’t install it in our new home 7 years ago was because natural gas is so cheap here. But Al Gore wants to cool the planet by punching a hole in the earth’s crust? What an idiot.
spudmom on November 18, 2009 at 11:58 AM
Al Gore is such a liar. His body language, the manner in in which he constantly looks away from the person he’s talking to when espousing his crackpot theories indicate he’s lying..He truly is a snake oil salesman attempting to sell the latest “potion” But the fact is he doesn’t really believe it himself – it’s written all over his face.
flameofjudah on November 18, 2009 at 12:00 PM
People, people, people…this so-called “geothermal” energy simply would be a disaster. We just can’t drill and tap the earth’s core and rob it of all it’s heat willy-nilly like just to generate electricity. Why, we’d cause world wide global cooling and we’d all likey freeze to death. I have climate models that prove it. Stop global cooling!
Wyznowski on November 18, 2009 at 12:02 PM
30 years from now Gore will be remembered as an evil, greedy bastard.
Griz on November 18, 2009 at 12:02 PM
You know, this brings up to mind something that has been kicking around in the back of my head for at least 4 years, maybe 11. The theory I know accounting for the molten nature of the mantle and parts of the core is that heat from decay of radioactive elements in the mantle and core is the cause; for the heat from the gravitational infall of the Earth’s creation was radiated away a long time ago (unlike Jupiter); and that, naturally, without the heat from the decay particles the mantle and core would be solid (as the Moon is); and that among a lot of other undesirable side-effects the strength of the magnetosphere (created by the molten core) would be greatly reduced, exposing life on Earth to far more influx of solar radiation.
Now, I’m not a geologist or geophysicists (though I do have an interest in both), so I have never seen the numbers accounting for this theory. But I have often wondered about them, because I also know that the center of mass of the Earth-Moon system is located about 4700 km (3000 nm) from the center of the Earth (the Earth’s diameter being approximately 12,800 km (8000 nm).
And it has seemed to me, since I first read that, that there have got to be tides in the mantle and the core, just as there are for oceans on the surface, and that these tides, even if they did not generate much motion, surely must generate heat (in a manner akin to Io, and perhaps Europa/Callisto/Ganymede). I have always meant to find a geophysicist and ask someday (and I actually went to high school with one–I should ask him), but have never quite got around to it.
And so I have wondered that if these tides occur (and were not accounted for in the original heat balance calculations showing radioactive decay as the source of Earth’s molten mantle/core), by what percentage do they reduce the relative influence of radioactive decay as a heat source? And if there are internal tides, what are their contributions to causation of continental drift, if any?
If tidal heating is substantial, it would mean our Moon, in addition to keeping the Earth’s tilt-axis relatively stable (i.e., keeps it from tilting over like Uranus’ is right now; necessary for the long-term evolution of intelligent life), that our Moon also helps create our life-sustaining magnetic field. And this would raise the interesting astrobiology question: can intelligent life evolve on a planet without a moon that has a large mass relative to the parent planet?
At any rate, so I wonder sometimes. Of course, I should stop my various denials and just get my science from Al Gore. I believe, I believe…
Horatius on November 18, 2009 at 12:05 PM
I bet he knows the exact temperature one head’s length up his a$$, seeing how he walks around with it stuck up there all the time.
Roc on November 18, 2009 at 12:08 PM
Okay, can we now put to rest any thought that Gore gore has any clue what he is talking about?
Count to 10 on November 18, 2009 at 12:09 PM
***
There is a lot of geothermal energy in the earth. If the earth were the size of an orange the “peel” would be the “solid” ground we stand on. And the rest of the orange would be molten rock with a molten iron core. The earth’s crust is a few to tens of miles thick.
***
The source of the heat is in question. Some scientists estimate that the earth’s core should have cooled off long ago. But it hasn’t–some credit the high heat to nuclear reactions or some physical effect that mechanically transfers earth motions to heat.
***
Yes–there are some promising geothermal heat to electricity projects. But one of the big problems is that the high mineral content of the superheated water builds up scale on heat exchangers and cuts heat transfer–and ultimately clogs up the piping. Steam turbines need high temperature (2000 degree) clean steam to operate. Getting clean high temperature steam is a tough job from geothermal sources.
***
But don’t contradict Al Gore on energy stuff–anyone smart enough to have invented the Internet (when he voted to fund a DARPA project long ago!) must really know his stuff. As he gets rich “solving” the non-existent “global warming” problems and getting rich in the process.
***
John Bibb
***
rocketman on November 18, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Comment pages: « Previous 1 2 3 Next »