A laser pointer produces about 5 milliwatts, so emissions from the two sectors combined are heating the planet by roughly the same amount that shining 32 laser pointers on every square meter of the Earth would. Using the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s Community Earth System Model, a global chemistry‐climate model, along with emissions data from 2015, they calculate the net radiative effect of the gasoline and diesel sectors to be about +91 and +66 milliwatts per square meter, respectively, on a 20-year timescale. model the total global climate impact of gasoline and diesel vehicle emissions as well as their impact on human health.
