Differences in Energy Production: Carbon vs. U-235 - Some Viewpoints Volume 66- Issue 1

Töysä T*

• Licentiate of Medicine, Specialty General Practice, Retired, Student of Eastern Finland, Finland

Received: June 06, 2026; Published: June 19, 2026

*Corresponding author: Töysä T, Licentiate of Medicine, Specialty General Practice, Retired, Student of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2026.66.010271

Abstract PDF

One gram of sugar (C₆H₁₂O₆) – sugar as an example of carbon compounds - converted to CO₂ (and H₂O) releases about 4 kcal (4,000 calories) of energy [1]. Since 1750, atmospheric CO₂ has increased by about 40% [2]. Because the average global carbon turnover time in the soil–vegetation–climate system is about 23 years [3], much of this additional CO₂ has repeatedly cycled back into carbon compounds, like C₆H₁₂O₆, through endothermic (energy-consuming) reactions, photosynthesis, and then back to CO₂ through exothermic (energy-releasing) reactions [1]. Cereals are the most water-efficient source of calories for human consumption: producing 1 kilocalorie (0.25 g) requires about 0.51 liters of water [4], or about 125 g of water per kilocalorie of sugar. The chemical structure of sugar requires 6 × H₂O per C₆H₁₂O₆, equivalent to 108/180 × 0.25 = 0.15 g of water per kilocalorie, or about 1‰ of the total water used. The rest of the water may be lost through processes such as leaching, but half, 60 g, is assumed to evaporate, which needs 0.54 kcal/g at 100  ͦC [5], about the same at 25 ͦC [6]. Evaporate 60 g of H₂O therefore consumes about 32 kcal. The resulting cooling is local: when the transported water vapor later condenses in cooler areas, the same energy is released again, in accordance with the law of conservation of energy. In this way, evaporation transfers heat away from cities and can reduce the energy use for cooling machines.

A 1975 National Academy of Science report stated that global temperatures had declined steadily since the 1940s [7]. The same decrease is also evident at Utö [8], where temperature variation is largely free from urban bias [9]. Solar-physics cyclicity is discussed in more detail in [10]. Differences among ERA5, NCPE (National Centers for Environmental Prediction, USA), and CRU (Climatic Research Unit, the IPCC data source) for 1940–1970 may be explained by NCPE’s reliance on original observations, as in [8], rather than projections based on 1970–2020 data [11]. Without excess CO₂, the cooling during 1940–1970 might have been slightly stronger. The oscillation of temperature in 1940-2025 is not exceptional [10]. Unlike carbon, the heating effect of U-235 accumulates continuously.

1. School chemistry.
2. Kimmo Ruosteenoja (2017) Changing climate conditions in Finland – what do we need to adapt to?.
3. Carvalhais N, Forkel M, Khomik M, Jessica Bellarby, Martin Jung, et al. (2014) Global covariation of carbon turnover times with climate in terrestrial ecosystems. Nature 514: 213-217.
4. Armstrong M (2023) How Thirsty Is Our Food?. Agriculture, Statista.
5. Web: “How Many Calories to Evaporate One Gram Water”. “caloriehealthy,com”.
6. Web: Engineering Toolbox, Charts and Calculator.
7. NAS (National Academy of Science) Understanding Climate Change.
8. Töysä T (2026) Temperature on Utö Lighthouse Island in 1883-2025, City Effect and Tree-Ring Widths – The temperature at Utö rose by 0.1°C from 1883 to 1983. Biomed J Sci & Tech Res 65(5): 58017-58021.
9. (2022) Cities are often 10-15 °C hotter than their rural surroundings, News article. European Commission. Joint Research Centre > Home, JRC news and updates.
10. Ollila A, Timonen M (2022) Two main temperature periodicities related to planetary and solar activity oscillations. Journal International Journal of Climatology 42(16): 10407-10421.
11. Li Y, Duan W, Zeng Z, Shan Zou, Xu Wang, et al. (2025) Asynchronous abrupt warming across Eurasia since the 1980s. npj Clim Atmos Sci 8: 327.