5 ms·

I assume we’re talking about eventually running out of resources to make $thing, not running out of places to put old $things? Because I just drove through Nev

by mwint 5y ago

I assume we’re talking about eventually running out of resources to make $thing, not running out of places to put old $things? Because I just drove through Nevada and can personally attest that we are not in danger of running out of places to dig big holes to put old stuff in.

ChrisMarshallNY 5y ago
Reminds me of George Carlin's classic "Stuff" routine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac
labster 5y ago
Assuming this is true, you still need to pay for machines to dig the big holes, transportation to those big holes, infrastructure for transporting to those to those big desert holes.
- sokoloff 5y ago
  That’s probably still less total effort than what’s embodied in the device as part of its making. Mining and refining bauxite or iron ore, mining and refining fossil fuels, doing all the processing and transporting to get it to you in good condition is likely to dominate the cost to throw it into a regionally compacted bundle to trundle it off across half a continent (but not the world’s largest ocean) for disposal.
quickthrower2 5y ago
Or pollution in producing the thing. Particularly greenhouse gases.
tonyedgecombe 5y ago
So how did we end up with places like Fresh Kills in New York? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresh_Kills_Landfill https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresh_Kills_Landfill
- mwint 5y ago
  I didn’t claim landfills don’t exist, nor that there is unlimited room in populated areas. I claim that there is essentially unlimited room if you’re willing to travel a few hundred miles, at least in the states. Trucking trash is pretty cheap - think about how cheap it is to transport retail goods across the country. Now think about the cost savings from not caring about the condition of the “product” on arrival. And anyway, it’s gotta be cheaper than sending waste to China, like we used to do.

by mwint 5y ago

ChrisMarshallNY 5y ago

Reminds me of George Carlin's classic "Stuff" routine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac

labster 5y ago

Assuming this is true, you still need to pay for machines to dig the big holes, transportation to those big holes, infrastructure for transporting to those to those big desert holes.

sokoloff 5y ago
That’s probably still less total effort than what’s embodied in the device as part of its making. Mining and refining bauxite or iron ore, mining and refining fossil fuels, doing all the processing and transporting to get it to you in good condition is likely to dominate the cost to throw it into a regionally compacted bundle to trundle it off across half a continent (but not the world’s largest ocean) for disposal.

quickthrower2 5y ago

Or pollution in producing the thing. Particularly greenhouse gases.

tonyedgecombe 5y ago

So how did we end up with places like Fresh Kills in New York? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresh_Kills_Landfill https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresh_Kills_Landfill

mwint 5y ago
I didn’t claim landfills don’t exist, nor that there is unlimited room in populated areas. I claim that there is essentially unlimited room if you’re willing to travel a few hundred miles, at least in the states. Trucking trash is pretty cheap - think about how cheap it is to transport retail goods across the country. Now think about the cost savings from not caring about the condition of the “product” on arrival. And anyway, it’s gotta be cheaper than sending waste to China, like we used to do.