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There is no way to replace a significant part of the used plastic/fossil fuel. We underappreciate how many things fossil fuel can be used for. It's not just fu

There is no way to replace a significant part of the used plastic/fossil fuel. We underappreciate how many things fossil fuel can be used for. It's not just fuel and plastic which in itself is extremely valuable. But it's also pesticides, machinery, medicin, chewing gum, sports equipment, textiles, toothpaste, guitar strings, contact lenses, fishing lures and I could go on. It's so ever present in our daily life that living without it would kill most of us. Sure there are alternatives to some of this, but we are not even close to having solutions for 99.9% of the uses of plastic today. With regards to energy then also here it's hard to see the alternatives without fuell cells, thorium or fusion being a reality anytime soon. I've looked at a lot of different alternative energy forms and while there are some interesting concepts in between I have yet to see something that can compete properly. A lot of Rube Goldberg solutions out there or solutinos that require a complete redevelopment of the very infrastructure we spent 200 years building. So I am very skeptical but still looking. I am not saying you can't make a good investment on some of them, but whether you can save the world by investing in some of the things I have seen at least is very unrealistic.

vardump 7y ago
> But it's also pesticides, machinery, medicin, chewing gum, sports equipment, textiles, toothpaste, guitar strings, contact lenses, fishing lures and I could go on. How about adding concrete (coal) and asphalt [0] to that list? A world without fossil fuels would indeed look dramatically different. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphalt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphalt
NeedMoreTea 7y ago
I doubt many, if any, of those advocating for a move to renewable energy and EVs are calling for a blanket ban on oil for non-combustive uses. We have alternatives for far, far more than 0.1% of the world's plastic though. We could probably get rid of most of it without a change in our quality of life, or effectiveness of products. Keep the oil for the few uses that can't be easily replaced by other more sustainable sources. Which almost certainly means contact lenses, and assorted medical uses, specialised equipment, some chemicals etc.
- ThomPete 7y ago
  We don't have alternatives and those we have are simply not good enough and extremely expensive. Even if you could replace 10% it wouldn't mean anything.

vardump 7y ago

> But it's also pesticides, machinery, medicin, chewing gum, sports equipment, textiles, toothpaste, guitar strings, contact lenses, fishing lures and I could go on. How about adding concrete (coal) and asphalt [0] to that list? A world without fossil fuels would indeed look dramatically different. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphalt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphalt

NeedMoreTea 7y ago

I doubt many, if any, of those advocating for a move to renewable energy and EVs are calling for a blanket ban on oil for non-combustive uses. We have alternatives for far, far more than 0.1% of the world's plastic though. We could probably get rid of most of it without a change in our quality of life, or effectiveness of products. Keep the oil for the few uses that can't be easily replaced by other more sustainable sources. Which almost certainly means contact lenses, and assorted medical uses, specialised equipment, some chemicals etc.

ThomPete 7y ago
We don't have alternatives and those we have are simply not good enough and extremely expensive. Even if you could replace 10% it wouldn't mean anything.