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Apart from the obvious, another aspect of renewables that I hope will make the world a better place is the potential to be fucking free from oil and gas. Imagin

Apart from the obvious, another aspect of renewables that I hope will make the world a better place is the potential to be fucking free from oil and gas. Imagine the geopolitical impact of that. But, here’s a lesson from WW2. Unless we can pack the energy produced by renewables into tanks, jets, aircraft carriers and such effectively (cost, scale, etc.) nothing is gonna get meaningfully better there.

whatsupdog 1y ago
[flagged]
- kentm 1y ago
  I think you missed geraneum’s point. They’re saying that the military is still going to need oil even if industry decarbonizes
bawolff 1y ago
Its probably also going to trigger a bunch of wars in the short term. Wars tend to happen when power dynamics change. Either someone is on the rise and thinks they can get more or someone is on the decline and can no longer hold on to what they used to have. I think the middle east is going to be a blood bath once the oil stops making bank. But its not just them, when oil goes away it changes the power dynamics across the world.
grues-dinner 1y ago
Theoretically, with enough cheap renewable energy, synthetic hydrocarbons could fuel the war machine. It would need possibly big, vulnerable plants to refine, but so does jet fuel and diesel now. Adding that much electrical capacity is a civilisational task, but an electrical "JP-8 at home" plant in theory is a good security asset, especially for countries with poor oil supply.
- jopsen 1y ago
  Many countries have some oil and if the civilian economy didn't drink so much -- there probably be plenty to make jet fuel, etc.
vanviegen 1y ago
> tanks, jets, aircraft carriers Will these still be relevant in 15 years time, given the pace at which military drones are developing? Perhaps long-range drones/missiles will be using fossil fuel, but not nearly as much as the heavy, bulky military vehicles designed to carry personnel.
- SJC_Hacker 1y ago
  Whether they are manned or not doesn’t matter. They still need power which is mostly oil based except the smaller, short range drones. The longer range, bigger drones and missiles are jet powered
  - vanviegen 1y ago
    Yes, but if they're not manned they can we a lot smaller, thus no longer consuming quantities of oil that are significant on a global scale.

whatsupdog 1y ago

[flagged]

kentm 1y ago
I think you missed geraneum’s point. They’re saying that the military is still going to need oil even if industry decarbonizes

bawolff 1y ago

Its probably also going to trigger a bunch of wars in the short term. Wars tend to happen when power dynamics change. Either someone is on the rise and thinks they can get more or someone is on the decline and can no longer hold on to what they used to have. I think the middle east is going to be a blood bath once the oil stops making bank. But its not just them, when oil goes away it changes the power dynamics across the world.

grues-dinner 1y ago

Theoretically, with enough cheap renewable energy, synthetic hydrocarbons could fuel the war machine. It would need possibly big, vulnerable plants to refine, but so does jet fuel and diesel now. Adding that much electrical capacity is a civilisational task, but an electrical "JP-8 at home" plant in theory is a good security asset, especially for countries with poor oil supply.

jopsen 1y ago
Many countries have some oil and if the civilian economy didn't drink so much -- there probably be plenty to make jet fuel, etc.

vanviegen 1y ago

> tanks, jets, aircraft carriers Will these still be relevant in 15 years time, given the pace at which military drones are developing? Perhaps long-range drones/missiles will be using fossil fuel, but not nearly as much as the heavy, bulky military vehicles designed to carry personnel.

SJC_Hacker 1y ago
Whether they are manned or not doesn’t matter. They still need power which is mostly oil based except the smaller, short range drones. The longer range, bigger drones and missiles are jet powered
- vanviegen 1y ago
  Yes, but if they're not manned they can we a lot smaller, thus no longer consuming quantities of oil that are significant on a global scale.