Another example of feel-good environmentalism

[Grizalltheway]

Solar and Wind are ~20-30% efficient in terms of converting thermal/kinetic energy to electricity. But obviously there's no downside to the energy produced.

Coal is about 35-40% efficient while natural gas is near ~55% (or 65%?). Nuclear energy is the most efficient at 90-95%. Oil is up there though as well, in the 85-90% range.

There is a downside to producing solar and wind energy.

Oh right, conks suddenly care about birds and shit.

[HI54UNI]

I was at the climate march, but I completely disagree with the anti-nuclear sentiment I encountered.

Personally, I think an investment should be made into the midwest so that it becomes THE energy hub for the United States. We need to continue developing renewable energy sources, but nuclear power should be a top the list until solar/wind are more efficient. Develop infrastructure in the heartland of the nation and sprawl power lines to the coasts - the midwest is well protected from foreign threats, land is plentiful and nearly ideal for both nuclear and renewable energy, and it can be an economic boon for Americans in that area.

Transmission losses eat up too much of the production to move it that far. Plus getting through the Rockies is difficult. Build the nuclear plants next to the energy loads on the east coast. There's enough land there for them.

[HI54UNI]

I was at the climate march, but I completely disagree with the anti-nuclear sentiment I encountered.

Personally, I think an investment should be made into the midwest so that it becomes THE energy hub for the United States. We need to continue developing renewable energy sources, but nuclear power should be a top the list until solar/wind are more efficient. Develop infrastructure in the heartland of the nation and sprawl power lines to the coasts - the midwest is well protected from foreign threats, land is plentiful and nearly ideal for both nuclear and renewable energy, and it can be an economic boon for Americans in that area.

Solar and wind arent efficient enough yet?


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They're incredibly efficient at not working when needed.

[Grizalltheway]

Solar and wind arent efficient enough yet?


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They're incredibly efficient at not working when needed.

Advances in battery/ storage technology are already starting to solve that issue.
Worth a watch when you have a chance.

http://www.pbs.org/video/2365946487/

[Ibanez]

We'll surround the nuclear plants with wind turbines to blow the bad weather away.

















That's how it works, right?

You live in South Carolina, right?

Yes.


My post was a joke.

[Ibanez]

There is a downside to producing solar and wind energy.

Oh right, conks suddenly care about birds and shit.

SAVE THE BIRDS!!

[Ibanez]

They're incredibly efficient at not working when needed.

Advances in battery/ storage technology are already starting to solve that issue.
Worth a watch when you have a chance.

http://www.pbs.org/video/2365946487/

PINKO COMMIE LIBERAL TRASH

[HI54UNI]

They're incredibly efficient at not working when needed.

Advances in battery/ storage technology are already starting to solve that issue.
Worth a watch when you have a chance.

http://www.pbs.org/video/2365946487/

That's what it is going to take. I keep telling my son that wants to be an engineer to go into this field because if he figures it out he will make Bill Gates look poor.

Having said that batteries still can't solve the problem alone unless they get really good and can last for extended periods. We still need some baseload plants available to cover transmission outages or periods when the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining.

We're actually looking at a combo solar/battery project right now. The problem is the cost is too much compared to our other resources. It's hard to justify when it is about 2.5 times the cost of other alternatives.

[CID1990]

They're incredibly efficient at not working when needed.

Advances in battery/ storage technology are already starting to solve that issue.
Worth a watch when you have a chance.

http://www.pbs.org/video/2365946487/

And when the lithium runs out?

Just to put 100 million electric vehicles out per year would expend the earth's known lithium reserves in 17 years (at current consumption, we have about 365 years worth, but that number comes down quickly as more battery factories come online)
That's not counting all the other commercial uses for lithium, either

100 million EVs a year is much less than what we would need to dent the transportation carbon footprint. And we arent even yet talking about the electrical grid needs from solar and wind that could replace fossil fuel plants

Gonna need to figure out a way to store electricity more efficiently, and without lithium.


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[Chizzang]

Advances in battery/ storage technology are already starting to solve that issue.
Worth a watch when you have a chance.

http://www.pbs.org/video/2365946487/

And when the lithium runs out?

Just to put 100 million electric vehicles out per year would expend the earth's known lithium reserves in 17 years (at current consumption, we have about 365 years worth, but that number comes down quickly as more battery factories come online)
That's not counting all the other commercial uses for lithium, either

100 million EVs a year is much less than what we would need to dent the transportation carbon footprint. And we arent even yet talking about the electrical grid needs from solar and wind that could replace fossil fuel plants

Gonna need to figure out a way to store electricity more efficiently, and without lithium.

You cheer me up sometimes...
I remember when we were going to "run out of oil" in the world...
Current Lithium estimations put it at over 350 years worth of reserves

and we'll find something better in 10 years

[GannonFan]

And when the lithium runs out?

Just to put 100 million electric vehicles out per year would expend the earth's known lithium reserves in 17 years (at current consumption, we have about 365 years worth, but that number comes down quickly as more battery factories come online)
That's not counting all the other commercial uses for lithium, either

100 million EVs a year is much less than what we would need to dent the transportation carbon footprint. And we arent even yet talking about the electrical grid needs from solar and wind that could replace fossil fuel plants

Gonna need to figure out a way to store electricity more efficiently, and without lithium.

You cheer me up sometimes...
I remember when we were going to "run out of oil" in the world...
Current Lithium estimations put it at over 350 years worth of reserves

and we'll find something better in 10 years

Well, current estimations don't include a spike in EV's either, so there's that.

As for the running out of oil, those predictions were correct, we would run out of oil at those times based on the way that we were drilling for oil then. Thank you, again, Fracking.

[cx500d]

They're incredibly efficient at not working when needed.

Advances in battery/ storage technology are already starting to solve that issue.
Worth a watch when you have a chance.

http://www.pbs.org/video/2365946487/

Making batteries is horrible for the environment....All the mining for the metals, we can't have that. Lets just get our batteries off Bernie Sanders Free Shit Tree, there's no pollution if we get them off the Free Shit Tree, plus Free Shit Trees are a carbon sink, or so I heard....

[AZGrizFan]

The long-term answer isn't lithium. And ditto to what the new guy said--making/storing/disposing of batteries is horrible for the environment.

[kalm]

There is a downside to producing solar and wind energy.

Oh right, conks suddenly care about birds and shit.

This cracked me up.

You know what doesn't? All this bad mouthing of Lithium. I bought an EGO trimmer, blower, and snow blower last fall that run on 56 Volt Lithium batteries. The charge lasts almost forever and when you DO have to recharge them it takes 15 minutes, tops!

Plus, I my liberal self loathing was dampened by their their clean energy...until this thread.

Thanks a lot, assholes!

[CAA Flagship]

There is a downside to producing solar and wind energy.

Oh right, conks suddenly care about birds and shit.

Birds suck. Even dead ones.

[cx500d]

Oh right, conks suddenly care about birds and ****.

Birds suck. Even dead ones.

The right ones are tasty though.


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[Gil Dobie]

I was at the climate march, but I completely disagree with the anti-nuclear sentiment I encountered.

Personally, I think an investment should be made into the midwest so that it becomes THE energy hub for the United States. We need to continue developing renewable energy sources, but nuclear power should be a top the list until solar/wind are more efficient. Develop infrastructure in the heartland of the nation and sprawl power lines to the coasts - the midwest is well protected from foreign threats, land is plentiful and nearly ideal for both nuclear and renewable energy, and it can be an economic boon for Americans in that area.

Also tornadoes, droughts, and excessive snow and frozen rivers.

Rivers are not frozen by the nuke plants.

[Pwns]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTrECOS4fzU

Surprise! Banning plastic drinking straws in the US is a feel-good motion that will only eliminate a tiny percentage of plastic that ends up in the ocean.

[CID1990]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTrECOS4fzU

Surprise! Banning plastic drinking straws in the US is a feel-good motion that will only eliminate a tiny percentage of plastic that ends up in the ocean.

I'm sure that's true

But plastic straws are something that is absolutely unnecessary - if they all went away today nobody would suffer


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[Ivytalk]

Buy a 4Ocean bracelet, and clean up the seas!

[kalm]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTrECOS4fzU

Surprise! Banning plastic drinking straws in the US is a feel-good motion that will only eliminate a tiny percentage of plastic that ends up in the ocean.

I'm sure that's true

But plastic straws are something that is absolutely unnecessary - if they all went away today nobody would suffer


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The free plastic straw market would suffer. When the free market suffers, we all suffer.

[AZGrizFan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTrECOS4fzU

Surprise! Banning plastic drinking straws in the US is a feel-good motion that will only eliminate a tiny percentage of plastic that ends up in the ocean.

I'm sure that's true

But plastic straws are something that is absolutely unnecessary - if they all went away today nobody would suffer


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Wonder how many people the straw company employs?

[CAA Flagship]

I'm sure that's true

But plastic straws are something that is absolutely unnecessary - if they all went away today nobody would suffer


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Wonder how many people the straw company employs?

Meh. It’s all ball bearings these days anyway.

[Pwns]

I'm sure that's true

But plastic straws are something that is absolutely unnecessary - if they all went away today nobody would suffer


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The free plastic straw market would suffer. When the free market suffers, we all suffer.

A lot of disability advocates have raised legitimate concerns here.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/11/health/p ... index.html

Feel-good environmentalism is bad for environmentalism, kalm.

[kalm]

The free plastic straw market would suffer. When the free market suffers, we all suffer.

A lot of disability advocates have raised legitimate concerns here.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/11/health/p ... index.html

Feel-good environmentalism is bad for environmentalism, kalm.

Reducing the amount of plastic straws is good for the environment even if it is of minor impact. Is there something wrong with feeling good about that?

The disability argument is lame. Exceptions have already been made. Yes, people with certain disabilities may have to think ahead a little, but as mentioned in the article, restaurants can always keep a supply of backups. We all have disabilities and limitations that require preparation. Fair-skinned people must remember sunscreen, Georgia Southern fans must remember pants first,then shoes.

Life's a bitch.