The Radiative Balance
The total amount of forcing, think energy (a joule of a statement–I know) entering our planet from the sun is about 250 Watts per square meter of planetary surface. Of that 250 Watts per square meter (approximately, on average, disclaimer, disclaimer), 150 Watts per square meter (approximately, on average, disclaimer, disclaimer), is the retained energy part of our planet’s radiative balance (disclaimer, disclaimer). So, what about the other 100? It radiates back into space. This means the 250 IN from the sun (per square meter of Earth’s surface) and the 100 back OUT into space (per square meter of Earth’s surface) and the 150 that stays with the planet trapped by the atmosphere (as measured by watts per square meter of Earth’s surface) is our planet’s radiative balance with space (approximately, on average, disclaimer, disclaimer).