If all of mankind’s energy was supplied through solar panels would the effect be big enough to decrease the temperature (since light is converted in part to electricity)?

  • MDCCCLV@lemmy.caEnglish
    1·
    21 hours ago

    That’s not really relevant. Fine particulate emissions from coal power plants, which are already mostly gone in the US but are still used around the world, don’t travel a really long distance.

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      21 hours ago

      No, they do.

      Precipitate pollution from coal use in India and China is making it to the northern glaciars.

      It doesn’t need to be a lot, a small speck on a glacier can “snowball” into a substantial melt because black soot gets hotter than white snow.

      When soot settles on snow in large enough quantities, it creates a dark, heat-absorbent film on the otherwise reflective white surface of the snow. This causes the surface to absorb significantly more heat than it otherwise would, which eventually thins the snow down to the glacial ice that sits below the surface layer, causing further retreat.

      https://www.nbcnews.com/sciencemain/coal-soot-darkened-melted-glaciers-during-industrial-revolution-8C11069699

      It’s not like the soot has to blanket it, especially when they’re already melting.