3 ms·

Could you point us to examples of Vaclav Smil's evil doings? I was under the impression he's a very strict honest scientist. Thank You!

pipes 3y ago
And also point to how they don't require fossil fuels too!
- mmh0000 3y ago
  Cement is well known for requiring gasoline for the smoothest pours.
- antisthenes 3y ago
  Plastics can be synthesized from most carbohydrate gases. You can make most carbohydrate gases from water & CO2 from the air. The problem is that it's very energy-intensive, so the best way to create such plastics is by using excess renewable energy (e.g. peak solar) to create renewable carbohydrates. Currently, the tech has not been economically scaled yet, due to being new, and also not enough renewable capacity being available.
ZeroGravitas 3y ago
He's the Jordan Peterson of climate change. Spends half his time making snide digs at his opponents and then goes right into sophistry and word salad when he finds himself on tricky ground: > Interviewer: “Tell me more about what’s happening on the energy front.” > Smil: “We haven’t made a single correct move in energy.” […] > Hydroelectricity is the best, the most sustainable—I hate that word, sustainable. That’s the best form of renewable energy there is today, right? Because it runs all the time. Wind—well, you know, even in Manitoba, it’s not there 75 per cent of the time…. People feel constrained to be publicly correct to build a wind turbine farm…. Why do we do these stupidities, right? Well, because we feel renewable energy is only solar and wind, right? Not hydro apparently. Most people don’t think that way.” > Interviewer: “You mentioned you dislike the word sustainability.” > Smil: “Yeah, absolutely hate it [the word sustainability] because there is no such thing. Sustainability cannot be defined. Sustainable for what? Over next year? Over 10 years? Over a millennium? On a local basis, on a planetary basis? I mean, there are so many time and space dimensions to it you cannot define what is sustainable. If somebody is boasting that what they are doing is sustainable, it’s a total laugh. There is no sustainable thing.” https://www.desmog.com/vaclav-smil/ https://www.desmog.com/vaclav-smil/

pipes 3y ago

And also point to how they don't require fossil fuels too!

mmh0000 3y ago
Cement is well known for requiring gasoline for the smoothest pours.
antisthenes 3y ago
Plastics can be synthesized from most carbohydrate gases. You can make most carbohydrate gases from water & CO2 from the air. The problem is that it's very energy-intensive, so the best way to create such plastics is by using excess renewable energy (e.g. peak solar) to create renewable carbohydrates. Currently, the tech has not been economically scaled yet, due to being new, and also not enough renewable capacity being available.

ZeroGravitas 3y ago

He's the Jordan Peterson of climate change. Spends half his time making snide digs at his opponents and then goes right into sophistry and word salad when he finds himself on tricky ground: > Interviewer: “Tell me more about what’s happening on the energy front.” > Smil: “We haven’t made a single correct move in energy.” […] > Hydroelectricity is the best, the most sustainable—I hate that word, sustainable. That’s the best form of renewable energy there is today, right? Because it runs all the time. Wind—well, you know, even in Manitoba, it’s not there 75 per cent of the time…. People feel constrained to be publicly correct to build a wind turbine farm…. Why do we do these stupidities, right? Well, because we feel renewable energy is only solar and wind, right? Not hydro apparently. Most people don’t think that way.” > Interviewer: “You mentioned you dislike the word sustainability.” > Smil: “Yeah, absolutely hate it [the word sustainability] because there is no such thing. Sustainability cannot be defined. Sustainable for what? Over next year? Over 10 years? Over a millennium? On a local basis, on a planetary basis? I mean, there are so many time and space dimensions to it you cannot define what is sustainable. If somebody is boasting that what they are doing is sustainable, it’s a total laugh. There is no sustainable thing.” https://www.desmog.com/vaclav-smil/ https://www.desmog.com/vaclav-smil/