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Most of the world's energy today comes from fossil fuels. To | Most of the world's energy today comes from fossil fuels. | ||
To really phase out all fossil fuel energy, the following tech is needed: | |||
Energy storage, especially... | |||
Sodium-ion batteries | |||
Reason: Because lithium-ion is too mineral-intensive to scale up. | |||
To be used for mid-range electric vehicles and smoothing out the day-night cycle of solar panels. | |||
They don't even have to be as energy dense as lithium-ion. | |||
Energy sources - some combination of | |||
Solar panels without scarce minerals | |||
Reason: Most of today's solar panels on the market are too mineral-intensive to scale up. | |||
To be installed on as many rooftops as possible. | |||
This could provide enough "general-purpose" electricity for homes, buildings and EVs, but not enough for heating in cold parts of the world. | |||
Wind turbines | |||
Mostly for producing hydrogen gas | |||
Can later be burned for heating buildings and in combustion vehicles | |||
Fuel cell vehicles are too platinum/palladium-intensive to scale up, but hydrogen production is not. | Fuel cell vehicles are too platinum/palladium-intensive to scale up, but hydrogen production is not. | ||
During local windy seasons, can also be used for electricity directly. | |||
Thorium power | |||
Note that other forms of nuclear are not viable to scale up | |||
Conventional nuclear power uses too much uranium-235 (too scarce) | |||
Uranium-238 breeder reactors have too many weapons proliferation concerns | |||
Nuclear fusion probably won't be viable soon enough, even though it'll ultimately be the best option in the distant future. | |||
Until the above tech is ready, developed countries must reduce energy demand - most effectively by... | Until the above tech is ready, developed countries must reduce energy demand - most effectively by... | ||
Driving less | |||
Individual action: Walk, bike, or use public transit. | Individual action: Walk, bike, or use public transit. | ||
Collective action: Making neighborhoods more walkabile and improving public transit. | Collective action: Making neighborhoods more walkabile and improving public transit. | ||
Buying less new "stuff" | |||
Individual action: Frugalism | Individual action: Frugalism | ||
Collective action: Fight against planned obsolescence | Collective action: Fight against planned obsolescence | ||
Yes, these actions would have the most impact - see this pie chart :File:energy-demand-pie1.png. | Yes, these actions would have the most impact - see this pie chart :File:energy-demand-pie1.png. | ||
Note that climate change isn't the ''only'' major environmental problem. There's also habitat loss. The most effective way to stop this is via food: | Note that climate change isn't the ''only'' major environmental problem. There's also habitat loss. The most effective way to stop this is via food: | ||
Reason: Because agriculture uses more land than any other human activity. | Reason: Because agriculture uses more land than any other human activity. | ||
Stop food waste | |||
(both personal ''and'' business food waste) | (both personal ''and'' business food waste) | ||
Make food more plant-based | |||
(both personal choices ''and'' systemic changes make a difference here) | (both personal choices ''and'' systemic changes make a difference here) | ||
Yes, these actions make the biggest difference, both for the environment and for ending global hunger. | Yes, these actions make the biggest difference, both for the environment and for ending global hunger. | ||
</pre> | </pre> |