The transition

I'd say that I agree that not all of the details have been worked out, and some of the approaches we are pushing for might well be infeasible.

What I don't hear is any alternatives but sit and wait for the Dark Ages to come. Also there are powerful entrenched interests who are very willing to spread Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt about any potential technology that might replace them and their entrenched positions -- and its been that way for decades.

My own guess is that Solar and Wind will be intermediate steps to some better technology platform. I don't know what that would be (although I suspect enhanced geothermal would be part of the tool kit, and maybe molten-salt fast neutron fission reactors). But the point is that we ought to be trying something.
 
Mr. Coffee said:
I'd say that I agree that not all of the details have been worked out, and some of the approaches we are pushing for might well be infeasible.

What I don't hear is any alternatives but sit and wait for the Dark Ages to come. Also there are powerful entrenched interests who are very willing to spread Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt about any potential technology that might replace them and their entrenched positions -- and its been that way for decades.

My own guess is that Solar and Wind will be intermediate steps to some better technology platform. I don't know what that would be (although I suspect enhanced geothermal would be part of the tool kit, and maybe molten-salt fast neutron fission reactors). But the point is that we ought to be trying something.
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Indeed. As China is demonstrating, we ought to be trying everything ... maybe not colonies on Mars, but everything short of that. Something will work out.
 
PDoz said:
So you're saying I should reconsider sailing over christmas, or just accept our future involves a society with a non pagan calendar ?

I almost went gift free this year ( 1 gift slipped through) , research into an electric motor for my 40 year old sailboat continues...and I'm thinking VERY seriously of leaving her in the water instead of on a trailer like I do at the moment ( which needs a vehicle capable of towing her up the launching ramp) .

Trouble is, I suspect that future warfare might involve a scenario where climate refugee is a terrifying reality. I figure an invasion from our north might allow enough time for us to decide if we can tolerate the economic invasion or need to use the boat to escape a more physical one.

View attachment 168835
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Not at all. The mega corporations want you to think you must deny yourself everything, so they don't have to change anything. Like recycling, the volume is too tiny to even make a rounding error on one plastic bags plant, much less one papermill making boxes for Amazon, or one plant making throwaway coffe cups for McDonald's. Sure consumption will drop, but that just means we prioritize what is woth keeping.

Your boat , even multiple boats or a small airplane, won't have any real effect...other than on your wallet.
 
Mr. Coffee said:
I'd say that I agree that not all of the details have been worked out, and some of the approaches we are pushing for might well be infeasible.

What I don't hear is any alternatives but sit and wait for the Dark Ages to come. Also there are powerful entrenched interests who are very willing to spread Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt about any potential technology that might replace them and their entrenched positions -- and its been that way for decades.

My own guess is that Solar and Wind will be intermediate steps to some better technology platform. I don't know what that would be (although I suspect enhanced geothermal would be part of the tool kit, and maybe molten-salt fast neutron fission reactors). But the point is that we ought to be trying something.
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My favourite bluesky technology was from an 80s science journal.

Every city should have a 4000ft by 4000ft artificial cone shaped mountain that revolves in the wind generating power, you could cover it in solar panels, parks, estates, businesses, and it would revolve all year around.
100yr lifespan, generators replaceable from ground level.
Everything upgradeable, it could even look like a real mountain.
They would reliably create GWs of power, the good intertia backed up power that only extremely heavy generators can provide.
 
Chargeride said:
My favourite bluesky technology was from an 80s science journal.

Every city should have a 4000ft by 4000ft artificial cone shaped mountain that revolves in the wind generating power, you could cover it in solar panels, parks, estates, businesses, and it would revolve all year around.
100yr lifespan, generators replaceable from ground level.
Everything upgradeable, it could even look like a real mountain.
They would reliably create GWs of power, the good intertia backed up power that only extremely heavy generators can provide.
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You invest first and let us know how it works out. My last tech investment didn't quite meet expectations...
1704142859724.png
 
Art Deco said:
On the energy everything transition, that "grow closet" must save energy and money compared to driving to the dispensary ... or tacking down a street dealer for any of you who still live in a state like mine ...
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Well it is only drawing 385 Watts right now but I've spent thousands of dollars on the hobby and that money has a huge carbon footprint.

I've spent more than double that on my new two wheeled hobby in just over a year.
 
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I could always convert my grow lights to growing indoor food and grow the "medicine" outside in the summer.

That would help my carbon footprint unless I end up spending thousands more growing food, which would probably happen. 😂

I'd be adding automatic irrigation and all kinds of things that I haven't thought of yet.
 
Batteries ... can't live with them, can't live without them .

In 1900, about a third of cars in America were powered by batteries. But, there was a problem: the energy density—the amount of energy carried per pound—was too low: a car could go 40 or 50 miles on a charge. Gasoline cars could go 400 or 500 miles.

We’ve now reached the point that, last month, a Chinese automaker— sometimes called Asia’s Elon Musk—drove his company’s flagship model 600 miles on a single charge, besting Tesla’s 405-mile Model S range.

Battery demand grew by a factor of 24, battery manufacturing capacity went up by a factor of 42. Battery manufacturers annual manufacturing capacity additions are still rising — annual commissions of new factories are more than 18 times those of just five years ago.
 
I'm jumping in this thread a bit late and didn't read the whole thing, sorry, but I think solid state batteries will be the next step. I hate voltage sag so bad in the cold weather because every ride can be a "Oh no, I might have actually pedal this heavy ebike with zero assist!" experience. I would think and hope solid state batteries won't be as affected by weather extremes.
 
Chargeride said:
I can't see me ever buying an electric vehicle, maybe a motability scooter in a few years 😂
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Maybe you know how much enough batteries to run a double decker bus weighs? It takes over a ton for an electric Hummer ... and it's not going to be easy to put out a 3000 plus degree battery fire that big. Apparently noone was injured...kind of a miracle.
 
Yeah, they just said the bus caught fire, not the batteries ... they may have caught a small fire before the batteries went off ... but it only takes about 200 degrees Fahrenheit for li-ion batteries to ignite IIRC. Better be quick with the fire blankets. :eek:
 
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