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Northstar1989 t1_j4p3mzx wrote

Here's the thing: so long as fossil fuel extraction is still profitable the global economy will just find other uses for fossil fuels.

Like, for instance, plastic production: which is projected to triple in the next 20 years, I think it was in timeframe.

Even as a greater and greater share of energy comes from renewables, actual fossil fuel use might continue at near-peak levels. So long as it's profitable, Capitalism will do it.

The only solution is to just ban fossil fuel extraction at some point, or to place such heavy fines on fossil fuel companies that extraction is not profitable anymore.

I know it's drastic, but otherwise none of this will matter. We can end up getting an ever-larger share of energy from renewables and it still won't stop fossil fuels destroying the Biosphere.

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YsoL8 t1_j4pe2q1 wrote

Thats confusing fuel for raw material.

Oil as fuel is far more dangerous than as raw material. We've actually recently been discovering bacteria capable of breaking down plastic and genetic engineering will surely improve on that. Which means we will be able to make a closed loop for plastics.

At some point the economics will favour breaking down plastic over ever more expensive extraction. Especially as the recycling option gets cheaper.

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Northstar1989 t1_j4pfr46 wrote

>discovering bacteria capable of breaking down plastic

What do you think the bacteria turn the plastic into?

It doesn't disappear. It becomes CO2.

Oil as a material is just as bad, perhaps worse (d/t Microplastics in the environment) than oil as fuel.

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