Our sun gives us energy. What happens to that energy after we’re done using it? Does it stay here on earth? If it does, won’t it accumulate over time and harm our planet?

Question

Our sun gives us energy. What happens to that energy after we’re done using it? Does it stay here on earth? If it does, won’t it accumulate over time and harm our planet?

In: Earth Science

Answer 1

Much of it hits our planet and is reflected back off our atmosphere, some is trapped in the atmosphere & becomes heat. Some heats things on earth, like a hot sidewalk in summer. Luckily, earth’s spinning allows much of those things time to cool at night so it’s not a problem. We’re not too close where the heat is too much for things to live & not too far away where the sun doesn’t heat the planet enough. It won’t harm the planet but can harm the things on it. Severe sun damage and sunburn is one of those effects.