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0 pointsbobim2y ago0 comments

We live on free energy, free as in "dig a hole and voilà": energy. No nuclear, no solar, no wind can replace the sheer amount of energy we extract out of oil and coal. I’m afraid privacy in cars is going to be the least of humanity’s problems unless we make fusion working.

0 comments

Night_Thastus2y ago

As fossil fuels get more expensive to acquire and renewables get cheaper and cheaper, it's really a self-solving problem.

Energy is necessary for modern society to function. It's not going anywhere nor will it decrease just because one source of it is inconvenient.

JumpCrisscross2y ago

> No nuclear, no solar, no wind can replace the sheer amount of energy we extract out of oil and coal

What are you basing this on? You realise we have localised grids that go 100% renewable regularly, and could easily keep doing that with electrified transport?

bobimOP2y ago

Well, global surveys show how oil, gas and coal are going.

https://ourworldindata.org/energy-production-consumption

JumpCrisscross2y ago

Well sure, we’re consuming more fossil fuels because they’re cheaper. Nothing I’ve seen suggests we can switch primary production to clean sources. It would be more expensive. But that’s far from a hard limit.

I’m genuinely curious if someone is credibly speculating we are unable, versus economically unwilling, to replace fossil fuels with clean options.

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kaibee2y ago

If only there was some giant naturally occurring fusion reactor that we could siphon a bit of power from to power our things.

bobimOP2y ago

Exactly! But if it’s energy density hasn’t increased since the middle age it’s probably only good enough to support middle age lifestyle.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

Night_Thastus2y ago

As fossil fuels get more expensive to acquire and renewables get cheaper and cheaper, it's really a self-solving problem.

Energy is necessary for modern society to function. It's not going anywhere nor will it decrease just because one source of it is inconvenient.

JumpCrisscross2y ago

> No nuclear, no solar, no wind can replace the sheer amount of energy we extract out of oil and coal

What are you basing this on? You realise we have localised grids that go 100% renewable regularly, and could easily keep doing that with electrified transport?

bobimOP2y ago

Well, global surveys show how oil, gas and coal are going.

https://ourworldindata.org/energy-production-consumption

JumpCrisscross2y ago

I’m genuinely curious if someone is credibly speculating we are unable, versus economically unwilling, to replace fossil fuels with clean options.

1 more reply

kaibee2y ago

If only there was some giant naturally occurring fusion reactor that we could siphon a bit of power from to power our things.

bobimOP2y ago

Exactly! But if it’s energy density hasn’t increased since the middle age it’s probably only good enough to support middle age lifestyle.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse