Ketan Joshi19h ago

A GENTLE REMINDER: we are trying to eliminate fossil fuels because using them kills us.

If fossil fuels were cheap (they're not) or reliable (they're SO NOT), it would still be urgent to get rid of them because their intended use destroys our life support systems.

Even if we were unaffected (we're VERY NOT), it'd still be incumbent on us not to kill future generations of people by burning completely avoidable 19th century compressed plant matter today.

Show threadCAFCA4718h ago
@ketan
Maybe so but have you reflected on the 6,000 or so items that are derived from petrochemicals in daily use, including the plastics on the device we are using for our posts?
Crude oil extraction serves many purposes other than transport.
Show threaddasgrueneblatt
@CAFCA47
Yes, I have. That is (a) another very good reason not to just burn the stuff for a brief moment of heat, and (b) largely also very avoidable with materials already available today. Plastics are just way too cheap.
@ketan
Apr 10 at 7:57amWeb
Show threadtribactam16h ago
@dasgrueneblatt @CAFCA47 @ketan I am not sure about point 1. While chemically possible, it isn't so easy to make the hydrocarbons which have many uses beyond combustion. As far as point 2: taking out drivers of plastic production that you mention, while the volumes used may be insignificant, the products made such as modern pharmaceuticals are not.
I don't think apathy is the argument, I think it's about getting people to realise where their energy and stuff comes from. Most people have no clue.