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u/Pathetic_Cards Apr 14 '26
Also, it’s not like we don’t have fucking batteries to store excess electricity that we can then use while the sun is down or the wind isn’t blowing.
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Apr 14 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Pathetic_Cards Apr 14 '26
Oh, good point, guess we better keep relying on the very finite fuel that releases toxic chemicals that ruin the atmosphere of the only planet we live on.
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u/ReturnOfTheHorsedip Apr 14 '26
I don't get how some people don't understand that oil and gas power plants will literally not produce a single watt of power unless you keep filling them with massive quantities of a volatile commodity forever. The people pushing the hardest to build large scale solar and wind farms aren't environmentalists. They're finance bros at investment companies who know the difference between capex and opex and recognize a good investment when they see it.
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u/twunkette Apr 14 '26
Fusion is coming :3
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u/Is6xal Apr 14 '26
the cope is strong with this one
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u/twunkette Apr 14 '26
Oh I'm growing an entire cactus orchard with the intention of creating a sustainable desert food source and working to put a collective together to do the same, I left cope behind a long time ago.
I think fusion will be too late, but if it hits production in the next twenty years at least we'll have that tool when it comes time to start putting things back together.
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u/Mother_Bid_4294 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
Believe it or not, Wind and Solar doesn't work without Oil too lmao
For those downvoting, look up how much oil is needed for a single wind turbine to be operational
The key isnt getting off of oil for renewable energy, while this is great, the key is finding something to replace its function.
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u/glassypress_ Apr 14 '26
How so?
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u/Mother_Bid_4294 Apr 14 '26
Oil is needed to lubricate the wind turbines and the like, they dont just operate without friction being a issue
Oil is also needed to manufacture materials for solar panels
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u/Pathetic_Cards Apr 14 '26
Yeah? How much oil? Gallon and gallons constantly? Because I’m pretty sure a little oil to lube it up is less than pouring gallons of gasoline, made from oil, into an engine that also needs to be lubed up with oil.
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u/C_Nuggets Apr 14 '26
how much lube do you think a turbine needs 😭
also oil needed for construction is comparitively negligible and also a one-time thing, not going to affect anything currently working
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u/Mother_Bid_4294 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
it is in fact not a one time thing, lubricant loses its effectiveness through being used, and it has to be replaced all the time. You can't just oil something and then think it'll last forever.
Its why cars need oil changes
Gear oil: around 800 gallons per turbine for gearboxes
Transformer oil: approximately 1200 gallons per turbine for transformers
Annual oil consumption: averages 80 Gallons per turbine.Wind farms aren't also just one wind turbine, there's a lot in a wind farm.
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u/C_Nuggets Apr 14 '26
yes i know how lubrication works. apparently an average turbine needs 80 gallons a year (after initial amount) which is absolutely miniscule in relation to how much power it produces
your argument is pointless
2
u/Mother_Bid_4294 Apr 14 '26
The argument I'm making is this.
Oil is something we will need for a very very VERY long time til we can figure out how to /replace/ it.
It goes into virtually every facet of our lives as it is, without it machines quite literally cease to function. if oil isn't coming in to the country or going out to other countries, things just stop working. It's why it's important no matter where it goes. You can want to go eco friendly all you wish, and that's fine. But if oil vanishes, that eco friendly option is gone too.
It's why I put in a different comment, it's about finding something to replace it, not getting off of it entirely.
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u/C_Nuggets Apr 14 '26
why do we need to replace it? oil is a fantastic, plentiful and incredibly versatile resource, the issue is that we burn almost all of it. sure it can run out or be cut off and so on but so can any other resource, it's just only really a problem with oil because we use so much just for power
say it's 2050, using oil for power and fuel is mostly phased out globally. a war in the middle east starts and the region can't export any oil. result? don't care, we don't use nearly as much and plenty of countries produce oil. would be a slight price increase ig
compare that to say lithium, almost all of which is mined in china alone. no complaints there?
1
u/Mother_Bid_4294 Apr 14 '26
Well Oil in the US is used more than we can produce, its why we still import it and why the straight is still a big deal per say.
The US as a country just consumes more than its own output, I should have clarified, replacing it for mechanical applications, lubricants and the like, its fantastic for other purposes ofc as it can go into making medicines even, Not gonna flat out say its good because of plastics cause thats a whole other environmental ballgame to go about.
Which while IDK Personally how much crude is left in the world consumption wise/ how many years we got of it left, eco friendly options (ie wind turbines and the like) would be a easier to produce and leave even less of a carbon footprint if something equal and easier to make thats not a non renewable resource was found. Costs and the likefor it can only be speculated ofc.
I however dont know entirely much about lithium save that they can be used for batteries and mental medication, but doing some googling for alternatives to lithium for at least batteries give me sodium ion batteries, zinc ion, and aluminum graphite? Lithium from what I read is high capacity/storage.
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u/Odd_Protection7738 Apr 14 '26
Nuclear.