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What if we build it out of graphene instead? There is an awful lot of knowledge that's been mostly discarded because it doesn't fit the "modern, industrial, pr

by Syonyk 5y ago

What if we build it out of graphene instead? There is an awful lot of knowledge that's been mostly discarded because it doesn't fit the "modern, industrial, profit-driven ways of thinking." Some of it is wrong, but an awful lot of it is simply "not easily to scale with machinery to maximum profits." Or, in some cases, just no longer considered stylish (stainless steel vs brass in hospitals being a case of "the new is literally worse than the old in every way that matters, while looking new" - the copper in brass is a biocide). It's probably worth picking up a printed copy or two of LTM... modern society is running out of runway awfully fast.

bruce343434 5y ago
What's LTM?
- selimthegrim 5y ago
  Website where article is posted
abeppu 5y ago
> What if we build it out of graphene instead? I think the implication (that carbon negative local materials are unscalable) is unfair. We haven't built anything huge with graphene yet and the per-gram costs are still crazy (e.g. on the order of $100/g). By comparison, this article is about relatively large-scale projects that we actually did, decades ago. > Between 1954 and 1967, during works on the rivers throughout the country, they sank 1,200,000 km2 fascine mattresses to the bottom. We're in a context where we simultaneously want to: - build and replace infrastructure - decrease our carbon footprint and go negative where possible - protect large coastal areas from storm impacts - prevent further habitat loss and loss of ecological diversity And more recently we have become aware that sprawling international supply chains are a liability. I think more than just concerns over whether something scales at maximum profit, we also have too much institutional inertia. "If we pick different materials, will permitting and oversight bodies be convinced about safety and longevity claims? Will workers need to be retrained? Will the planning process need to change? Better to just do what we've always done; it's easier." To be fair, I suppose I _have_ heard people talk about carbon sequestration in cross-laminated timber for large buildings. I have not heard people talk about being able to source that timber locally, or in a way which is especially beneficial to the land. https://investingnews.com/daily/tech-investing/nanoscience-investing/graphene-investing/graphene-cost/ https://investingnews.com/daily/tech-investing/nanoscience-i...

by Syonyk 5y ago

bruce343434 5y ago

What's LTM?

selimthegrim 5y ago
Website where article is posted

abeppu 5y ago

> What if we build it out of graphene instead? I think the implication (that carbon negative local materials are unscalable) is unfair. We haven't built anything huge with graphene yet and the per-gram costs are still crazy (e.g. on the order of $100/g). By comparison, this article is about relatively large-scale projects that we actually did, decades ago. > Between 1954 and 1967, during works on the rivers throughout the country, they sank 1,200,000 km2 fascine mattresses to the bottom. We're in a context where we simultaneously want to: - build and replace infrastructure - decrease our carbon footprint and go negative where possible - protect large coastal areas from storm impacts - prevent further habitat loss and loss of ecological diversity And more recently we have become aware that sprawling international supply chains are a liability. I think more than just concerns over whether something scales at maximum profit, we also have too much institutional inertia. "If we pick different materials, will permitting and oversight bodies be convinced about safety and longevity claims? Will workers need to be retrained? Will the planning process need to change? Better to just do what we've always done; it's easier." To be fair, I suppose I _have_ heard people talk about carbon sequestration in cross-laminated timber for large buildings. I have not heard people talk about being able to source that timber locally, or in a way which is especially beneficial to the land. https://investingnews.com/daily/tech-investing/nanoscience-investing/graphene-investing/graphene-cost/ https://investingnews.com/daily/tech-investing/nanoscience-i...