Debunking the 'Heat Only Rises' Claim
AAP FactCheck examines the claim that atmospheric carbon dioxide cannot warm the earth's surface because "heat only goes up".
Experts state that warm air does rise, but this does not limit atmospheric carbon dioxide's ability to warm the earth's surface.
Having reached the air, CO2 no longer has any possible heating effect. Have you forgotten what we learned at school, that heat goes UP??
However, CO2 transfers heat in all directions, including downwards, through radiation, which is how it warms the planet. This process can be observed using scientific instruments.
Author's summary: Climate science debunks the "heat only rises" claim.