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Oil is not irrelevant. Energy is a substantial cost in the production of many products (also in getting products to customers). Rising oil prices do matter for

Oil is not irrelevant. Energy is a substantial cost in the production of many products (also in getting products to customers). Rising oil prices do matter for normal people. And while we may decarbonize eventually, politicians have to balance that with feeding their populations and providing them an adequate quality of life.

ku-man 6y ago
Perhaps isn't so much about oil and other natural resources as renouncing to national pride of being a world power. Something similar to the US-Puerto Rico situation. Puerto Rico doesn't offer any benefit to the US (if anything it's a money pit), nonetheless the US won't leave Puerto Rico because it's a testament of US status as a superpower.
ArkanExplorer 6y ago
We are still churning out fossil-fueled cars in Volkswagen, Renault, Peugeot, Mercedes, BMW factories all across Europe. These brands are deliberately delaying their rollouts because with so few moving parts, EVs need much less maintenance and thus the aftermarket sales and dealer service profits are lower. Rejigging those factories and supply chains to make EVs also requires investment and effort. For the sake of the profits of a few companies we are jeopardizing the security and habitability of the planet. If all new cars being made in Europe were EVs, oil would absolutely be irrelevant. The Middle East could blow up and we could easily change to alternative suppliers. We are already seeing this to an extent now, where Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure elicit little price response.
- jeffreyrogers 6y ago
  Oil is used for a lot more than just cars: petrochemicals are a massive industry. Everything plastic is a petroleum product. Fertilizer is a natural gas product. About 1/3 of fossil fuel electricity generation is oil (other 2/3s are coal and natural gas). There is no way to stop producing oil while maintaining living standards in the near to moderate future. The turbine blades on wind farms are composites made from petroleum products. PV arrays are encapsulated in petroleum products. Tires are made from petroleum products. You can make these from renewable sources but it is much more expensive and the supply chains to do so don't exist yet at scale.

ku-man 6y ago

Perhaps isn't so much about oil and other natural resources as renouncing to national pride of being a world power. Something similar to the US-Puerto Rico situation. Puerto Rico doesn't offer any benefit to the US (if anything it's a money pit), nonetheless the US won't leave Puerto Rico because it's a testament of US status as a superpower.

ArkanExplorer 6y ago

We are still churning out fossil-fueled cars in Volkswagen, Renault, Peugeot, Mercedes, BMW factories all across Europe. These brands are deliberately delaying their rollouts because with so few moving parts, EVs need much less maintenance and thus the aftermarket sales and dealer service profits are lower. Rejigging those factories and supply chains to make EVs also requires investment and effort. For the sake of the profits of a few companies we are jeopardizing the security and habitability of the planet. If all new cars being made in Europe were EVs, oil would absolutely be irrelevant. The Middle East could blow up and we could easily change to alternative suppliers. We are already seeing this to an extent now, where Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure elicit little price response.

jeffreyrogers 6y ago
Oil is used for a lot more than just cars: petrochemicals are a massive industry. Everything plastic is a petroleum product. Fertilizer is a natural gas product. About 1/3 of fossil fuel electricity generation is oil (other 2/3s are coal and natural gas). There is no way to stop producing oil while maintaining living standards in the near to moderate future. The turbine blades on wind farms are composites made from petroleum products. PV arrays are encapsulated in petroleum products. Tires are made from petroleum products. You can make these from renewable sources but it is much more expensive and the supply chains to do so don't exist yet at scale.