Nice explainer and video. You're right EEI is now a hot topic (sorry), perhaps because the CERES record is 25 years old and the trends have clearly emerged from the noise. AR6 covered it well but it didn't reach the outside world.
What's missing from your really brilliant EEI website is the name and attribution of Dr James Hansen. He has been for years the forefront EEI heralded.
Anyone writing about Earth's energy imbalance shouldn't be using cloud-based AI tools to make 90 second videos given how much data centres rely on fossil fuels. I appreciate your emails, although I'm agnostic about some of the solutions you propose to the climate crisis but completely on board with investing energy in the scientific understanding of what's happening, and there's a role for cloud-based AI tools where the opportunity cost of human brain power outweighs the benefit of the science. But making educational videos ain't it.
I understand where you're coming from, that by using a tool that depends on fossil fuel usage, there's a tradeoff. But the actual carbon emissions are small. The video isn't AI-generated footage (the AI wrote code, and my laptop drew the frames), and the whole project took about 2,000 prompts.
And the potential for reaching more people with video is far higher than text alone. The alternative also wasn't a video made by a person, it was no video. So all in all, the benefits do seem worth it to me.
Super job, Paul! A very much needed EEI presentation. I would add SAE ( surface albedo enhancement ) as part of the now doable adaptations ( especially in the subtropics ) has the greatest benefit now for the poor souls broiling in the highest solar insolated, irradiated and populated areas.
Also, SRM is indeed mitigation by helping preserve carbon sinks. I alwsys call it "mitadaption".
Nice explainer and video. You're right EEI is now a hot topic (sorry), perhaps because the CERES record is 25 years old and the trends have clearly emerged from the noise. AR6 covered it well but it didn't reach the outside world.
I have further details including the break down between shortwave reflection changes and long wave output changes if your readers are interested: https://drtomharris.substack.com/p/earths-energy-imbalance-quarter-century
Ah great post, thanks for sharing that here Tom. That’s a very clear breakdown on how this all functions.
What's missing from your really brilliant EEI website is the name and attribution of Dr James Hansen. He has been for years the forefront EEI heralded.
Anyone writing about Earth's energy imbalance shouldn't be using cloud-based AI tools to make 90 second videos given how much data centres rely on fossil fuels. I appreciate your emails, although I'm agnostic about some of the solutions you propose to the climate crisis but completely on board with investing energy in the scientific understanding of what's happening, and there's a role for cloud-based AI tools where the opportunity cost of human brain power outweighs the benefit of the science. But making educational videos ain't it.
I understand where you're coming from, that by using a tool that depends on fossil fuel usage, there's a tradeoff. But the actual carbon emissions are small. The video isn't AI-generated footage (the AI wrote code, and my laptop drew the frames), and the whole project took about 2,000 prompts.
By the numbers here, that's in the same range as watching YouTube for a few hours, or maybe a couple of days of it if these prompts are a lot heavier than a normal one (https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2025/12/03/new-data-ai-is-almost-green-compared-to-netflix-zoom-youtube/).
And the potential for reaching more people with video is far higher than text alone. The alternative also wasn't a video made by a person, it was no video. So all in all, the benefits do seem worth it to me.
Super job, Paul! A very much needed EEI presentation. I would add SAE ( surface albedo enhancement ) as part of the now doable adaptations ( especially in the subtropics ) has the greatest benefit now for the poor souls broiling in the highest solar insolated, irradiated and populated areas.
Also, SRM is indeed mitigation by helping preserve carbon sinks. I alwsys call it "mitadaption".
Again, great opus from OPUS and you too!