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> Oil, coal and gas not only are cheap, reliable, plentiful Is it cheap? Is it only cheap because we subsidize the externalities they impose? Is it plentiful?

• ThomPete 7y ago
  Is it cheap? Is it only cheap because we subsidize the externalities they impose? When you factor in the positive externalities I think it's safe to say it's pretty cheap yes. It's a finite resource but we get better and better at utilizing it and keep finding new areas. It doesn't have to be infinite it just has to allow us to develop new forms of resources. "How safe is our environment if it is destroyed or otherwise rendered uninhabitable by the consumption/burning of the very same fossil fuels?" It's not rendered uninhabitable. In fact, it allows us to live places that used to be uninhabitable.
  • nicoburns 7y ago
    So far, but it's looking likely that continuing to consume them will render large swathes of our planet uninhabitable. A pretty significant externality!
    • ThomPete 7y ago
      What are you talking about? Oil makes the environment cleaner not dirtier. Do you know how many wells are naturally polluted by nature? How uninhabitable large parts of the world would be if it wasn't for the use of fossil fuels? You rather live like we used to? Like animals? What are you willing to give up?
      • dang 7y ago
        Would you please stop posting flamewar comments to HN? We've had to warn you about this before. Accounts that propagate flamewars repeatedly, we eventually have to ban. I don't want to have to ban you, so please stop doing this. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html