found in pennsylvania_politics

While I get your point. There's a problem, recall the 90s, when the buzz was all about Blood Diamonds. There's talk about along the same lines. But they call it Blood Batteries. We also need to look at how the entire world, is dependent on petroleum based byproducts. varying from clothing, plastics, roads, sealants, even medication. Before we all jump on the new new thing, we need to make sure that the previous system - electrical grids, can actually support a large influx of change.

Last time I did the math on this, if the US was to go on the most dependable power source. We would need an additional 22 nuclear power plants. That require 180 metric tons on raw fuel, each year. Where they expel 192 est dangerously radioactive spent fuel rods each. That now need to be housed for 50,000 years est. Where the housing is now acceptable to natural disasters. Let's not forget the water thats used to cool the nuclear power rods.

The next reliable power source would be hydro-dams. Where they have their own unique issue. Aside from clearing land mass, like nuclear power plants, solar farms, and wind farms. They have been known to flood towns up stream from the dams. While on the opposite end of the spectrum, reduce food sources, and income from those down stream. Where they like power plants, solar farms, and wind farms still require petroleum byproducts for lubercation.

Solar farms are the ticket right? Not completely sure about that. As previously stated points above. But we run into the issue on inclement weather, and sun light. Where it runs into the issue of not beting able to produce non stop power for society. And let's not forget continuous cleaning, repairs, and replacement from the elements.

Windmills then? Again from previous points above, we have to address the vast amounts of fiberglass used to make 190 plus foot blades, where there has been multiple articles linking to those blades being damaged from birds, or the elements, making their way into land fills.

But we also can't ignore the lack of ability to recycle the current batteries we have in vehicles. Now compound that with larger batteries, required for EVs. Plot thickens.

Just as we can not ignore the mining process for minerals needed for any of the previous power sources, but more so complexes with minerals needed for chips, that we're seeing unfold right now. Which Tesla noted 10 years ago, and doesn't seem like it's going to improve anytime soon.

Now don't take it as I'm nixing the idea of an alternative power source, or travel. It's just my opinion, we as a whole need to advance in technology, as in several decades ago. For unless we want to retract to the days of living off the land, via wilderness living style. We, future generations, and the planet are for a lack of better words: fucked.