Stripped of all but the essentials, a battery is a store of energy that we can replenish, although not forever. Scientists at the University of Georgia believe Earth is a battery too, but it is running down they say. Because it took millions of years to charge it, but we are taking out more than we are putting back. It is hard to comprehend our earth is a battery running of energy.
Georgia Scientists Explain How Our Earth Is a Battery
“It took hundreds of millions of years for photosynthetic plants to trickle-charge the battery,” they say. “Gradually converting diffuse low-quality solar energy to high-quality chemical energy stored temporarily in the form of living biomass. And more lastingly in the form of fossil fuels: oil, gas and coal.” Thus, our earth is a battery than can sustain us if we preserve this process.
“In just the last few centuries – an evolutionary blink of an eye – human energy use to fuel the rise of civilization, and the modern industrial-technological-informational society has discharged the earth-space battery,” they warn. “We are degrading the high quality biomass energy to do the work of transforming the earth for human benefit. And radiating the resulting low-quality heat energy into deep space.”
We are Reaching Tipping Point, the Scientists Say
The NASA video confirms the Georgia scientists’ worst fears. Two thousand years ago, they believe Earth nurtured a trillion tons of bio mass. Humankind destroyed half of this in the past few centuries to make space for cities. Cities that are fast running out of space for our burgeoning populations.
We are reaching tipping point where our earth is a battery running out of time. The lead Georgia researcher believes humankind will survive because of our remarkable ability to adapt. “As we rapidly approach the chemical equilibrium of outer space,” the scientists say, “the laws of thermodynamics offer little room for negotiation.” Why, oh why can we not adapt our lifestyles before it is too late.
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Preview Image: Landfill Site
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