Tell me mate. what keeps us all from just burning up


Han  You know this cooling thing. We all know the ABCTV news desk is on fire with overheated rhetoric about high temperatures,   but how does the world keep cool anyway .
Given most peoples limited time to endulge I think we need to simplify the answer to our global warming scenario.
So I ask this. In natural terms. What is the planets most effective air conditioning cooling systems.?

George  The local environmental planner (who is still studying physics and chemistry out here with us )
TYPE  1
Evaporative Air Conditioning  EAC is definitely the rule across the world near sea level.
This is because 80 % of the earth surface is a wet surface and it makes high humidity in the air the norm for most of the earth .( even over land ) .
When that moist air runs across very vast areas of dry land ( its normally hot dry land as the sun makes it that way) such as the land to the NW of us in central Australia ) the EAC runs out of water and we in SW Australia get that rare low humidity northerly wind which will combust just about anything in seconds .
Really catastrophic burning winds are therefore rare and site controlled , requiring specific land /sea and wind direction and speed combinations.
Take the fire here in 1983

Han so that fire was very quick and because of low humidity  it burnt nearly everything in its path ?
George   We here in Western Victoria live in pretty well the most extreme risk area in Australia because of the low humidity high winds which come from inland from the NW ,

We are therefore at significantly higher risk than the east coast and east Gippsland , Because high humidity will return even in summer ( say with a wind change) we just have to take those really really bad days of the week super seriously and stay away( if your house is less than 30 metres from Eucalyptus forest.) Remember though, that the days in between are days to do stuff , if you have too.
No you don't need or want 200 mm to put the fire out Ms Minister for doing nothing on the ground but wait and hope.

Han    So the real problem with public perception is that much of what is happening is invisible-  water vapor ?
George   Absolutely Yes.     People who trust only what they can see,  have a problem
We are trying to share understanding about two forces that are not only invisible( gases and radiation) of which one in a mixture which rushes all  over the earth in a highly turbulent 3D way..
The surfaces with which those gases interact make for very complex forms in each part of the land .
Radiation on the other hand, has this amazing power to get through this mixture--- most of the time .
Han    Fascinating  Love it
George   Wait until I get to my favorite , Water , The truly wonderful properties of that amazing creation called water .Its so made that in a variety of states it does at least three quite different things --- that help moderate climate . and like its amigos O2 , CO2  and  CH......... its so reliable .

ITEM 2   The Pump air conditioner . It may be popular but its not the best . Our systems are not very efficient but getting better . we will come back to it .

ITEM 3  The fan 
No discussion on air con would be complete without mentioning the most efficient cooling method of all . The fan . moving the air ourselves over a wet surface - us .

Far too much is made by some about the very high temperature . Its the wind, humidity and fuel ( type and height of forest ) that must be considered . High air temperature is rare in the shade because you are away from surfaces and there is a breeze there to evaporate.and move air away from much the much hotter surfaces nearby . The roof near you may be 90 degrees or more. Just one tree maybe enough- wind moves faster underneath it.
The right tree in the right place is a most beautiful thing . Staying anywhere near some eucaltpus trees on a dangerous day is the wrong thing to do , Great to hear that rather than "the earlier "messages which confuse risk in different areas. The ABC should not pretend it can act local while it doesn't.













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