this post was submitted on 11 Mar 2024
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As a starting point, the burning of fossil fuels, and to a lesser extent deforestation and release of methane are responsible for the warming in recent decades: Graph of temperature as observed with significant warming, and simulated without added greenhouse gases and other anthropogentic changes, which shows no significant warming

How much each change to the atmosphere has warmed the world: IPCC AR6 Figure 2 - Thee bar charts: first chart: how much each gas has warmed the world. About 1C of total warming. Second chart: about 1.5C of total warming from well-mixed greenhouse gases, offset by 0.4C of cooling from aerosols and negligible influence from changes to solar output, volcanoes, and internal variability. Third chart: about 1.25C of warming from CO2, 0.5C from methane, and a bunch more in small quantities from other gases. About 0.5C of cooling with large error bars from SO2.

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Yes, heat pumps slash emissions even if powered by a dirty grid | Installing a heat pump now is better for the climate, even on U.S. electricity generated mostly by fossil fuels. Here’s why (www.canarymedia.com)
submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The article doesn't go into it, but a key advantage they have is that heat pumps move heat, rather then trying to generate it. So they can move a lot more heat into your house than would be generated by running the electricity they use through a resistor. This makes them effectively more than 100% efficient (the exact amount depends on temperature) as compared with burning a fuel or resistive heat.

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[–] [email protected] 49 points 8 months ago (24 children)

Heat Pumps are just Air Conditioners with a reversing valve. They're not some special magic.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago (8 children)

Hey, pedant here.

Air conditioners are heat pumps too, and it's not the reversing valve that differentiates them. Heat pumps move heat, reversing valve let's you decide which way to move it.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (3 children)

That's exactly what I said. Air Conditioners are heat pumps which only pump one way.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

No you said heat pumps are air conditioners which is wrong.

Heat pumps are a technology.

Some are used as air conditioners, some are used as heaters, some as both. Some are used for heating liquids, some are used for cooling foods. They simply move heat from one location to another, application and reversibility independent.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

All heat pumps are air conditioners. Not all air conditioners are heat pumps.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Nah you're arse about. It'd be like saying all internal combustion engines are generators.

Engines just drive things, like cars, generators, lawn mowers etc. They're a technology for rotating something.

Heat pumps are just a technology for moving heat.

Not going to reply any further as unsure at this stage if you're trolling. Literally just go read the Wikipedia page on heat pumps.

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