So we have long-term Ice-Ages, but also relatively short term ([https://www.currentresults.com/Environment-Facts/changes-in-earth-temperature.php](https://www.currentresults.com/Environment-Facts/changes-in-earth-temperature.php)).
When the temperature is going down (on average), where does the energy go?
​
PS. I am fully convinced we have climate change, we are the problem, etc. I only care about the ‘scientific’ answer.
In: Earth Science
The Earth is basically a giant light bulb, emitting light (technically “electromagnetic radiation”) into space. This uses energy.
You may not think of the Earth as emitting light. All objects do, but the color (technically “frequency”) of the light depends on the temperature of the object. In general we can only see colors emitted by objects that are hotter than we are (e.g. the Sun), since there’d be no point in being able to see the light emitted by our own eyeballs.
(This is how “heat”-seeking missiles and some types of night-vision goggles work. They don’t actually detect heat; they detect the *light* emitted by objects that are hotter than their surroundings.)
Latest Answers