xigma

8 ms·

61.
by xigma 8y ago
Polluting the environment is damaging someone's property (private or state), for which they will eventually demand restitution. It's part of market forces. Conversely, a certain amount of pollution/environmental destruction
62.
by xigma 8y ago
There's a big difference between 3% cobalt and no cobalt. Cobalt is important for safety, skimping on it to save some money is a big risk. I'm not saying it won't happen, just that I wouldn't put money on it.
63.
by xigma 8y ago
This is also exactly what is holding back synthetic fuels from becoming profitable. Fossil fuels will eventually lose out over synthetic fuels, but not until prices rise substantially.
64.
by xigma 8y ago
To the point, the prices are so damn low that only by the worst production methods is extraction even economically feasible. Higher prices will lead to production in less reckless environments, which is a good thing .
65.
by xigma 8y ago
Don't put your money on that.
66.
by xigma 8y ago
Yeah... but that's kinda missing something . Can't we put it into a vacuum tube instead, preferably underground?
67.
by xigma 8y ago
>> Building more mines can only happen if the resources exist to mine. The resources do exist to mine. Only a tiny fraction of rare earth minerals are actually being mined, because it's not economical in most places.
68.
by xigma 8y ago
The headline is made to sound like: "Oh no, we are running out of cobalt!" Yeah, not really. Just like with "oil reserves", there's a common misconception that we'll "run out" when they are depleted.
69.
by xigma 8y ago
Lightbulbs that last longer can't burn as bright, will use more electricity and do cost more. Nothing stops any company from creating long-lasting lightbulbs and they do in fact exist, but the consumer demand for them isn't necess
70.
by xigma 8y ago
It has always mattered. Illegality drives up risk, businesses seek to minimize risk. The flip side is that if something is illegal but the perceived risk of being caught is lower than the perceived gain, the laws are likely to be broken.
71.
by xigma 8y ago
It was legal at the time.