Rodolfo Gutman
QuixoticgeekOur world economy seems to depend on a single 40km wide bit of salt water not being used as a battlefield.
And people thought this is a good system...
kit@quixoticgeek
It's not as if the area has been uncontested for the entire time we've built up the dependency, either.
It's not as if the area has been uncontested for the entire time we've built up the dependency, either.
Andy Fletcher@quixoticgeek there wasn't a big issue until a man-child had a tantrum
Matt Hardy 3.11 for Workgroups@X31Andy @quixoticgeek - "He may be a child but at least he's not a woman." - 77m Americans 5th November 2024.
Steveg58@quixoticgeek
I believe we have been saying something about that since around the 70s.
I believe we have been saying something about that since around the 70s.
J$@quixoticgeek Many more of such choke points exist. That fragility comes with scale-up.
@js no choke points on the sun... Or wind.
@quixoticgeek No. The grid isn’t indestructible, at least not necessarily. That requires a distributed architecture, self-balancing and free of failure points.
@js you can put solar panels on your roof. No grid issues then.
tsadilas@quixoticgeek @js unfortunately there is a chock point here too, even though it's effect are not so imminent. It is the Bayan Obo, the mine from which 45% of rare-earth elements comes from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayan_Obo_Mining_District?wprov=sfla1
Stumpy The Mutt@quixoticgeek @js Most solar power inverters need a grid connection to synchronize with. I.e. no grid power = no solar power.
@StumpyTheMutt @js some do. It's not a requirement tho.
@quixoticgeek @js *Most* do. The off grid versions are much more expensive, thus there are fewer of them. Solar is a much better option than fossil fuels, but it takes investment *most* people don't or can't do. My solar is off grid, but it took me years to put it together so I could afford it.
bsmall2@quixoticgeek Amitav Ghosh mentions another chokepint near Singapore.. Strait of Malacca.. I think tankers are designed with limits set by the depth of that Strait... his interview about _Nutmeg's Curse_ on DemocracyNow! Set me on a reading binge...
@bsmall2 yep. I tooted about that one a couple of weeks ago.
.https://social.v.st/@quixoticgeek/116213342609533830
.https://social.v.st/@quixoticgeek/116213342609533830
Quixoticgeek (@[email protected])
Seeing quite a few smug posts about solar not being constrained by the current conflict around the strait of Hormuz. And while it's certainly the case if you already have your solar panels you don't have to worry about sun interruption (short of another Krakatoa 1883 scale volcanic event). If you don't yet have your solar panels, are you aware of the Strait of Malacca? It's a 900km Strait between the Malay peninsula and Indonesia. And it's the main route for ships from china to Europe. 1/n
Spookybot@quixoticgeek there are many choke points our whole economy depends on! It's a very safe system, so fun.
Pete Alex Harris🦡🕸️🌲/∞🪐∫Not starting a war turned out to be the good part of that system.
John Maxwell@quixoticgeek I doubt the word "thought" applies here.
Seriously, as well as snarkily; snark aside, it just grew without anyone thinking, in my best judgement.
But full snark for not thinking, also.
Nikkileah 🎮🚄🏳️⚧️🇬🇧@quixoticgeek there's a reason he briefly pitched for control of the Panama canals
David John Matthews@quixoticgeek l still don't understand what all the fuss is about when only 20% of energy comes from the Middle East, it's obviously a stock market scam to drive the price up and Trump is well invested in this scam, trying to make the price go up and down for his family and friends benefit with all his waffling about peace talks ect; Countries need to be smart and ruff it for a while and refuse to pay the higher price and make the oil and gas companies drop the price of their 80% of oil and gas.
@djmatthews 20% of oil. But, it also affects lng, lpg, plastics, helium, fertiliser etc... the world is built on just in time delivery and knife edge logistics. Any interruptions have knock on effects.
@quixoticgeek Luckily l live in the Philippines where drinks still come in bottles and we can do without a lot of the stuff you mentioned. I have 3 lpg tanks and bought 4 sacks of rice, before any price increase, which is enough for 6 months or more. They are now predicting this war will go on to at least June. I say if it's boots on the ground by America, it could be another forever war and that's what Trump wants to keep him in power.
@djmatthews I'm in the Netherlands where drinking water comes out of a tap. Assuming the chemicals needed to treat the water continue to be supplied...
@quixoticgeek ln the Philippines we have water stations everywhere, where tap water is filtered through different filters without chemicals and they come and collect your 25 litre water containers on tricycles and deliver it back to you cleaned and sealed for 30 pesos, about 49 cents US a container.
sheddi@djmatthews @quixoticgeek
Price elasticity of demand.
How much does the price of crude oil need to increase such that demand falls by 20%? I guess we're all finding out in real time
@sheddi @quixoticgeek Demand is dropping as we speak, as my wife caught a bus to work today and will do so, until the price of drops, others are doing the same.
2qx 🔻Corners and squeezes destroy markets.
Buy a solar panel for power in the new world economy.
@2qx ahead of you. Already got 4 of them...
Flaming Cheeto@quixoticgeek if some burn-it-all-down Bond villain were to launch missiles at Panama canal locks tomorrow.....
Günay@quixoticgeek @aral "can US and Isreal go about their business without inconveniencing me plssss"
Hippo 🍉@quixoticgeek to be fair, if I were looking to battle, a 40km wide bit of salt water would be the last place I'd think of for the venue