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I know this topic usually devolves into flamewar, but I'm used to seeing at least a few interesting comments on climate posts on HN. Here's a few topics that wo

I know this topic usually devolves into flamewar, but I'm used to seeing at least a few interesting comments on climate posts on HN. Here's a few topics that would make sense for hackers to discuss: - Insider knowledge on state of green tech (carbon capture, progress in solar tech, industrial hydrogen, any energy prices analysts here?) - Anything new happening with load-balancing for renewables? Solar has been tomorrow's energy for a while, but what's the best way to store excess and rebalance today? Batteries? - Speaking of batteries: any discussion on batteries devolves into worries about lithium mining / shortages. How big is that problem, quantitatively? - A typical argument is that coal is worse than Nuclear, but everyone accounts for externalities / black swan events differently. Do modern coal plants still pollute as much? Are the claims about coal plants releasing nuclear material into the atmosphere true? - Is nuclear waste as big a problem as we keep hearing? We've been dumping old tires in a 100km2 are of kuwait for years - worse, they've been catching fire and burning away (https://insiderpaper.com/video-worlds-biggest-tire-graveyard-kuwait-fire-sulaibiya/ https://insiderpaper.com/video-worlds-biggest-tire-graveyard...). But it would be unacceptable to condemn a similar area for radioactive waste? Why / why not? - How temperature rise would / wouldn't affect the SV / Europe / Israel / Asia tech scene. Will people move? Why? How much can be mitigated with industrial solution (AC, etc)? - What are energy technologies where the widespread / mainstream / media belief and the reality are not aligned?

orwin 5y ago
> Solar has been tomorrow's energy for a while, but what's the best way to store excess and rebalance today? Reversible barrages. Some innovation in pumped gaz. ----------------- > Speaking of batteries: any discussion on batteries devolves into worries about lithium mining / shortages. How big is that problem, quantitatively? Its an issue for the price and how fast new vehicles can be produced. We will either change our battery tech or try getting lithium/cobalt from less concentrated deposits. The main issue for lithium/cobalt is how destructive it is when the mining is done in unregulated environments. Heavy metal pollution that will kill for millions of years. ---------- > Do modern coal plants still pollute as much? Not the new german one, no. Still worse than any other plant, even oil plants. ------------- > Are the claims about coal plants releasing nuclear material into the atmosphere true? Yes, but it isn't worse than natural radiation in granitic areas. And since its in the air, it wont produce enough radon to kill someone. Not a real issue. -------------- > What are energy technologies where the widespread / mainstream / media belief and the reality are not aligned? I'd guess offshore wind? I've a childhood friend who is working for total, in the NRE department, and the only reason offshore is done is subsidies and "plan" that the mast will stay 20 more years than planned. And that the maintenance crew will get cheaper.
- ZeroGravitas 5y ago
  I'd maybe not rely on information from a Total source, even if they themselves are nice people. The company itself has been waging a decades long campaign to discredit global warming which they knew was happening (they're in the headlines for it right as I type) so it would be out of character for them to be internally saying "Wow, offshore wind is amazingly cheap, no-one is going to want to buy fossil fuels once this catches on". That's not going to get you a promotion until they've managed to totally extract themselves from the fossil fuel business.
moon_other 5y ago
There's the fear that these topic may also devolve into arguments. For example, a person in support of human-caused climate change might be quick to report that solar tech has been progressing nicely. But the person against would be quick to point out the inefficiencies.
cauliflower99 5y ago
Wait wait wait...you mean climate change is a collection of sub-problems and we need to understand those sub-problems in order to achieve anything tangible? Man...I should email someone about this!

orwin 5y ago

> Solar has been tomorrow's energy for a while, but what's the best way to store excess and rebalance today? Reversible barrages. Some innovation in pumped gaz. ----------------- > Speaking of batteries: any discussion on batteries devolves into worries about lithium mining / shortages. How big is that problem, quantitatively? Its an issue for the price and how fast new vehicles can be produced. We will either change our battery tech or try getting lithium/cobalt from less concentrated deposits. The main issue for lithium/cobalt is how destructive it is when the mining is done in unregulated environments. Heavy metal pollution that will kill for millions of years. ---------- > Do modern coal plants still pollute as much? Not the new german one, no. Still worse than any other plant, even oil plants. ------------- > Are the claims about coal plants releasing nuclear material into the atmosphere true? Yes, but it isn't worse than natural radiation in granitic areas. And since its in the air, it wont produce enough radon to kill someone. Not a real issue. -------------- > What are energy technologies where the widespread / mainstream / media belief and the reality are not aligned? I'd guess offshore wind? I've a childhood friend who is working for total, in the NRE department, and the only reason offshore is done is subsidies and "plan" that the mast will stay 20 more years than planned. And that the maintenance crew will get cheaper.

ZeroGravitas 5y ago
I'd maybe not rely on information from a Total source, even if they themselves are nice people. The company itself has been waging a decades long campaign to discredit global warming which they knew was happening (they're in the headlines for it right as I type) so it would be out of character for them to be internally saying "Wow, offshore wind is amazingly cheap, no-one is going to want to buy fossil fuels once this catches on". That's not going to get you a promotion until they've managed to totally extract themselves from the fossil fuel business.

moon_other 5y ago

There's the fear that these topic may also devolve into arguments. For example, a person in support of human-caused climate change might be quick to report that solar tech has been progressing nicely. But the person against would be quick to point out the inefficiencies.

cauliflower99 5y ago

Wait wait wait...you mean climate change is a collection of sub-problems and we need to understand those sub-problems in order to achieve anything tangible? Man...I should email someone about this!