Layman struggles with Science

[Richard111]

Oh dear! It is beginning to look like all I thought I'd learned about radiation transfer through the atmosphere may be wrong.

The Diurnal Bulge and the fallacies of the "Greenhouse Effect"

For example; here is something I have never ever even wondered about!!!

Quote:If the atmosphere was actually transparent to visible light, shadows would appear black. But a shadow is never black. In-fact the difference between an area of ground in direct sunlight and an adjacent area in shadow is not much different to the light levels you would find on a cloudy day when practically no visible shadows are being cast. This indicates that the atmosphere as a whole has a similar ability to diffuse light as do clouds. The fact that anything in shadow on a bright sunny day is clearly visible and colours are still obvious, is evidence that the atmosphere absorbs and diffuses almost as much incoming short wave electromagnetic energy as clouds do on an overcast day.

There is much, much more at the site.