Climate

[Undertoad]

Not just "also the question" but that is the theory climate scientists present. I have never heard the hypothesis that global warming comes from the warmth generated by burning stuff.

[Lamplighter]

Not just "also the question" but that (albedo) is one part of the theory climate scientists present.

I agree that in the narrow interpretation, the heat (calories) given off in burning
all fossil fuels would seem to be a very small part of the global warming sequences.

But in the larger sense of giving off CO2/methane/etc (green-house gases),
and the reduction in natural recycling of CO2 incurred by deforestation,
the mining and burning of coal and natural gas would be a significant contributor
to the several different processes leading to global warming.
.

[regular.joe]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Not just "also the question" but that is the theory climate scientists present. I have never heard the hypothesis that global warming comes from the warmth generated by burning stuff.

I'm not hypothesizing that global warming comes from the warmth generated by burning stuff. I'm hypothesizing that total energy generated by the sun and hitting the earth plus the energy released from fossil fuels impacts the climate more so then just the energy released by the sun and hitting the earth. Ergo, mans burning of fossil fuel impacts the climate.