Clyde Burnett, Boulder County.

Today’s questions of scientific facts debated by government’s emphasis of human

rules favoring a capitalistic system of economy have endangered our planet and

civilization from CO2 pollution by the increased human population. Much of the

atmospheric science is observable every day, and most folks are familiar with the models.

This is not so true for the radiation that is driving our climate change. I will attempt here

to correct the situation for our voters.

May I remind readers of the more trivial atmospheric facts? We may imagine a

model of its structure as a gas of widely spaced molecules like very small ping pong balls

free to move about with varying amounts of kinetic energy of motion; the average energy

we measure as temperature. Gases are compressible and can exert pressure. So, our

atmospheric density and temperature decreases with altitude.

We are also somewhat familiar with electromagnetic radiation, largely by virtue of

our eye’s sensitivity to visible light. We may also be familiar with its transport of energy

by skin sensitivity, including painful sunburn from solar ultraviolet.

Scientists have long ago documented the intensity distribution of radiation in the

special case of thermal equilibrium with its heat source, usually called heat radiation, for

example a fireplace, incandescent lamp, or the sun or the Earth’s surface, This may be

mathematically fitted by a model of vibrating electric charges with particular dependence

on a Kelvin temperature, T. An additional energy distribution factor is necessary. This is

a factor of radiation energy proportional to frequency, E = hf. The factor h was identified

by Max Planck as a fundamental constant of nature, the beginning of the quantum theory

of matter.

It is now a useful model of radiation to think of the waves of electromagnetic

radiation as photons with energy E = hf. These photons, in the case of heat radiation, may

be thought to work in equilibrium collisions with the ping pong balls of kinetic energy.

This radiant energy and frequency distribution of heat energy depends only on the

temperature T.

The mechanical and electrical structure of the trace molecules of water, carbon

dioxide, and methane are appropriate for absorption and emission of specific energies of

infrared radiation. It is the quantized vibration and rotation energy structure of these trace

molecules that works for the absorption of low frequency infrared photons with E = hf.

(See diagram from Fig 5 of Nature’s Greenhouse: Ominous Developments by Alex Cook

and J. George.)

Now we see how these trace molecules can absorb and trap their characteristic

frequencies, and only those frequencies, of the heat radiation from the earth. The

maximum intensity of the Earth’s heat radiation at Kelvin temperature T = 288 K (15 C)

is just where the characteristic absorption frequencies exist. The dense layers of these

molecules in the lower atmosphere can serve as a warm blanket that maintains the surface

temperature favorable for the evolution of humans and their supporting environment of

plants and animals. The trapping is less efficient at the lower densities at higher altitudes

and the escaping radiation is at the effective radiation balance surface of 255 K (minus 18 C).

Question: How does science affect government policies?

Answer: An example: Galileo has been called the Father of Modern Science in view

of his scientific observation test of the Church ruling of Earth as center of Universe. This

finally resulted, due to the correct solar system science, in diminishing the Church’s

universal dominance. Can we hope for similar changes in our Federal Government?