Contrary to a common impression, the earth (together with inhabitants) does not gain energy from the sun! What the earth does is to take energy in a low-entropy form, and then spew it all back again into space, but in a high-entropy form (Fig. 7.7). What the sun has done for us is to supply us with a huge source of low entropy. We (via the plants’ cleverness) make use of this, ultimately extracting some tiny part of this low entropy and converting it into the remarkable and intricately organized structures that are ourselves.
