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(Created page with "<pre class="levels"> Most of the world's energy today comes from fossil fuels. To change this, 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. [...") |
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Most of the world's | Most of the world's energy today comes from fossil fuels. To change this, the following tech is needed: | ||
Energy storage, especially | |||
Sodium-ion batteries | |||
Reason: Because lithium-ion is | Reason: Because lithium-ion is lithium-ion#battery minerals|too mineral-intensive to scale up. | ||
To be used for mid-range | 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 | 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 | Reason: Most of today's solar panels on the market are solar panel minerals|too mineral-intensive to scale up. | ||
To be installed on as many | To be installed on as many rooftop solar|rooftops as possible. | ||
This could provide enough "general-purpose" electricity for homes, buildings and | 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 | Mostly for producing hydrogen gas | ||
Can later be burned for | Can later be burned for heating buildings and in hydrogen combustion vehicles|vehicles | ||
Fuel cell vehicles are too platinum/palladium-intensive to scale up, but hydrogen production hydrogen gas#platinum-group metals|is not. | |||
During local windy seasons, can also be used for electricity directly. | During local windy seasons, can also be used for electricity directly. | ||
Thorium power | |||
Note that other forms of | Note that other forms of nuclear are not viable to scale up | ||
Conventional nuclear power uses too much uranium-235 (too scarce) | |||
Uranium-238 | 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 | Until the above tech is ready, developed countries must reduce energy demand - most effectively by... | ||
Driving less | Driving less | ||
Individual action: Walk, bike, or use | Individual action: Walk, bike, or use public transit. | ||
Collective action: Making neighborhoods more | Collective action: Making neighborhoods more walkabile and improving public transit. | ||
Buying less new "stuff" | Buying less new "stuff" | ||
Individual action: | Individual action: Frugalism | ||
Collective action: Fight against | Collective action: Fight against planned obsolescence | ||
Yes, these actions would have the most impact - see | Yes, these actions would have the most impact - see :File:energy-demand-pie1.png|this pie chart. | ||
Note that | 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 | Reason: Because agriculture uses more land than any other human activity. | ||
Stop | Stop food waste | ||
(both personal ''and'' business food waste) | (both personal ''and'' business food waste) | ||
Make food more | 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 | Yes, these actions make the biggest difference, both for the environment and for ending global hunger. | ||
</pre> | </pre> |