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Between this and the projected increase in PV solar efficiency, drop in cost and toxicity of manufacture... I don't think I've felt this kind of cautious optimi
by Aelinsaar 10y ago
Between this and the projected increase in PV solar efficiency, drop in cost and toxicity of manufacture... I don't think I've felt this kind of cautious optimism for a renewable energy infrastructure before.
- toomuchtodo 10y agoIts almost like we're going to fix the climate change issue, slowly (ramping up quickly)....by sheer luck of technological advancement.
- rjdevereux 10y agoCan't tell if this comment is sarcastic or not
- toomuchtodo 10y agoZero sarcasm. We've (worldwide government policy) worked against renewables and storage through limited subsidies compared to legacy fuels. That's not to denigrate the efforts of Tesla and solar/wind developers/technology companies; they just haven't received the support they should've compared to the impetus of climate change. EDIT: Innovation is saving us from ourselves! Yay?
- stevenmays 10y agoOR just don't subsidize fossil fuels and let them compete.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- honkhonkpants 10y agoIt's not just about subsidy. You also have to price in the carbon pollution.
- dexterdog 10y agoOn both sides
- kmonsen 10y agoIf it works it is clearly just luck there there is a cheaper and cleaner energy source available. At some time there will be a threat that will always be cheaper and then we are out of luck.
- Aelinsaar 10y agoEventually we're going to go through some version of the "Great Filter" like wet tofu through a shredder, but this gives me hope that it won't be in our lifetimes.
- ethbro 10y agoUnless we already happened to go through that when life magically transitioned from monocellular, simple competitive organisms to multicellular, complex cooperative organisms...
- kbenson 10y agoWell, going by history, it's not luck, it's gambling based on historical precedence. Time and again a new technology has come along, often spurred by the problem it solved, just in time to prevent a larger problem. The issue is that people take this for granted, and don't see it for what it is, gambling, and in this case with immensely large negatives on failure, to the point where the mental model of the world many people keep is unable to accurately assess the consequences. That's a dangerous combination.
- bhauer 10y ago> Its almost like we're going to fix the climate change issue, slowly (ramping up quickly)....by sheer luck of technological advancement. Which is an argument made by those on the free-market side of the political spectrum—that technology will help us solve this problem more quickly and efficiently than central planning and energy austerity. As someone who favors free markets, I have gone out of my way to be an early adopter of electric cars (2008 for me) and home solar (2015 for me) because I want the free market to solve these issues. To be clear, I recognize that incentives such as tax breaks have facilitated this. I obviously take advantage of these programs, but I would be on board with electric cars and home solar even without the tax breaks.
- toomuchtodo 10y agoAs a free market proponent, I assume you support including the externalities of pollution from fossil fuels into their costs? Which would've made the cost of electric cars and renewables cheaper much sooner?
- codemanneil 10y agoI have yet to hear a non-political argument against a revenue-neutral carbon tax. It's a little infuriating.
- maratd 10y ago> As a free market proponent, I assume you support including the externalities of pollution from fossil fuels into their costs? How do you even calculate that? For you to calculate externalities, you'd need to be able to assign costs. What's the cost of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere? You can't calculate something like that. So let me answer with a simple NO. We don't need anything like that. Cleaner technologies are overtaking and will replace fossil fuels. Our energy generation technology has never been stagnant and it won't be now. We'll move on to the next thing soon enough.
- chrischen 10y agoThe cost is how much people would pay to prevent you for emitting it into their air.
- Aelinsaar 10y agoIt is, and the feeling I get considering that as a real possibility makes me a little giddy.
- toomuchtodo 10y agoSo glad the renewables ramp is speeding up!
- agumonkey 10y agoAdvancement also fueled by environmental awareness?
- toomuchtodo 10y agoProbably nowhere near the momentum from the cost of renewables generation falling so quickly. Cash is king.
- jonathanfoster 10y agoThis is what happened during the Great Horse Manure Crisis of 1864[0]. Cities like New York and London were drowning in manure from all the horse-drawn carriages, which caused major health issues. No one could find a solution until Henry Ford came up with a process to build affordable cars and made horse-drawn carriages obsolete. [0] http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Great-Horse-Manure-Crisis-of-1894/ http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Great-...
- ethbro 10y agoThus solving the problem forever. Interestingly, I read it in a Theodore Roosevelt biography, but dug the numbers back up on the internet. In Boston circa 1870, the density of horses was around 700 per square mile.
- tcoppi 10y agoMinor correction, according to the article it is 1894 not 1864.
- sgnelson 10y agoDon't worry, we'll find some way to fuck it up.
- toomuchtodo 10y agoI'm hoping we're past the point of no return, and can no longer fuck it up.
- dragontamer 10y agoIt wasn't luck. The absurd amount of money poured into green energy the past decade has made a difference. Both government, and stock-market. Green energy is definitely riding high right now with easy money.
- koberstein 10y agoCheck out Electrovaya, they have a non-toxic battery production process. Cautiously optimistic here as well :)