bingrazer

joined 2 years ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 12 hours ago

The problem with using wind and solar is that you’d need a lot of it due to the energy requirements. While both should be used extensively, there comes a point where the resources required (these would likely use precious metal catalysts) to build the CCS plants and all the power infrastructure for it and waste produced makes it the obvious choice to just use trees.

If you look at how trees function, it is an incredibly complex process with some rather extreme conditions which are difficult to replicate with machines. If someone does manage to get it done efficiently then that’s great (though I think this is unlikely). But I don’t want it to become like recycling did: an excuse for companies to do whatever they want. The original expression was “reduce, reuse, recycle” with recycling being the last resort, but now we never hear about the first two because they get in the way of obscene profit.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Carbon capture (more specifically direct air capture) is not a viable option due to the energy requirements and the low concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. Carbon capture is largely promoted by fossil fuel companies for the same reason that recycling is: “let us keep doing what we’re doing because there’s some magical way to undo the damage, we just need a few more years of research”.

However, plants do the same thing and already exist. Trees in particular have shown some promise for being able to be a precursor for many polymers. This would at least mean that any plant matter used for this did pull CO2 out of the atmosphere in the last few years (so relatively neutral compared to the other options), whereas fossil fuels are releasing carbon that was removed from the atmosphere millions of years ago.

EDIT: TLDR, oil drilling should be banned or severely limited, but DAC is not a viable option and is only relevant because oil companies keep pumping money into it. Biomass is potentially an ok feedstock for plastics (but not for fuel).

[–] [email protected] 31 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Most plastic can’t be recycled into something usable. Plastic degrades quite a bit with each recycling, leaving a bunch of microplastics behind (same thing with “biodegradable” plastic). It would be better to tax it enough (or ban it) to make it not used in certain applications.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Sorry, deleted my comment because I didn’t think anyone saw it yet. Looking closer this appears to be a consequence of them changing the names of the original oblivion. Looks like it messed with SteamDB. Checking the page for the deluxe edition shows it was always $20 (which SteamDB is wrongly interpreting as the price for the base game).

So in this case Bethesda did the appropriate thing and tried to clarify the original is the 2009 edition and I rushed to get upset at them for something they didn’t do.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

When the consequences for being critical were less severe they were doing the exact same stuff

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

What if I already have it? Do I get super autism?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Not OP, so can’t be certain, but I think what they were saying was a lot simpler. I don’t think their mother would even attempt to understand stellar geology or pharmaceuticals, and instead has a blanket distrust of science except when it suits herself.

Geologic activity on the moon doesn’t seem like a particularly objectionable issue (most people would probably regard it with apathy), but then again there are people who think the Earth is flat and vehemently oppose the science which very clearly shows the opposite. I do understand your confusion as the comment likely isn’t relevant to this paper. OP would probably have made this comment or similar on any number of posts about science news and their comment is probably not influenced by the details of the discovery, simply that a discovery was made.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Polypeptide) is a relatively new type drug which promotes insulin release (prompting its use for treating diabetics) and suppresses appetite (prompting use as a weight loss drug). It’s received a lot of attention recently as a result. I believe the purpose of the comment was to highlight that their mother would distrust science unless it actively helps them.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I believe they’re saying that they have paid time off, but it’s paid at the rate for day shift workers. Since they always work night shift (which has a pay bump) that means the paid time off pays less than they normally get.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

Also much of the “recycled” plastic isn’t recycled, but instead burned or dumped.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

Depends on if you’re using British or American English

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