Can someone please debunk this claim that CO2 does not trap heat?

[Darkmisc]

Hi everybody

I follow climate denier pages and every now and then come across a claim that doesn't seem to have been debunked yet. One such claim is made here:

<link to uacceptable source deleted>

The gist of the article is that scientists experimented with using different gases in double glazed windows and found that windows filled with CO2 did not trap heat better than windows filled with air.

I'm guessing the reason is that the thin layer of CO2 will not re-emit much heat back into a house, and CO2's thermal conductivity might not make it an ideal gas to use between window panes. However, I don't know much about this.

Could someone please explain it to me?

The study cited in the article never claims that CO2 does not absorb and re-emit infrared radiation. However, the article is written in such a way as to imply it.

Thanks

 

[DrClaude]

I'm sorry, but we don't do debunking at PhysicsForums. I'll simply say that the article is complete bunk, trying to apply to climate science irrelevant research results. It's like saying that scientists are wrong when they say people can drink water and survive because research has shown people drown in it.

Thread closed.

 

[russ_watters]

@Darkmisc , @DrClaude 's water analogy is absolutely apt, but the actual answer is equally concise, so I'll just give it:

The gas between the panes of a window transfers heat between the panes via convection, whereas the Earth loses heat to space via radiation. So as with the water analogy, they are totally different processes.