The smartest, most important scientist of our time, Al Gore, really, truly brings Teh Stupid during an appearence on that ultra scientific show with that triple PhD host, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien (via John Derbyshire at The Corner)
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 …
[Me] The geothermal gradient is usually quoted as 25-50 degrees Celsius per mile of depth in normal terrain (not, e.g., in the crater of Kilauea). Two kilometers down, therefore, (that’s a mile and a quarter if you’re not as science-y as Al) you’ll have an average gain of 30-60 degrees — exploitable for things like home heating, though not hot enough to make a nice pot of tea. The temperature at the earth’s core, 4,000 miles down, is usually quoted as 5,000 degrees Celsius, though these guys claim it’s much less, while some contrarian geophysicists have posted claims up to 9,000 degrees. The temperature at the surface of the Sun is around 6,000 degrees Celsius, while at the center, where nuclear fusion is going on bigtime, things get up over 10 million degrees.
If the temperature anywhere inside the earth was “several million degrees,” we’d be a star.
But, hey, don’t forget that it’s OK to exaggerate, per Al Gore. Good thing he doesn’t start his book with a quote about offering you life or death or something.
Expect Gore to not enjoy his Wednesday, as both PETA and Americans For Prosperity to protest him.
But, hey, if wild exaggeration is good for Gore, it must be good for John “Poodle” Kerry.
Another thing he claimed is that there is ‘34,000 years of energy’ available down there.
Only 34,000? From a planetary engine that has been running for several billion years?
To finish: where geothermal does work, it should be promoted. But it does not work everywhere.
Lucky for us he didn’t get elected in 2000 after the second worst one we had. I don’t need to name them I hope.
Dont forget, was it 4 years ago now, he said we had only 10 years left to live?
Captainfish: actually in 2007 he said we had five years left- which rather neatly would tie it in with the Faux predictions about 2012. But then, I think the Faux scientist knew that would happen…
Of course. These people will use anything and everything to push their agenda. How else do you think Gore can afford all those flights all over the world to preach his nonsense? A carbon footprint that big takes a load of cash!