• SlopppyEngineer@discuss.tchncs.de
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    1 year ago

    We already know how to create plastics from CO2 extracted from the air and hydrogen from water. There is no shortage of raw material for plastics. The main question for the industry is cheap plastics and the answer to that has always been cheap oil and gas.

    Using proven reserves and current consumption you get to 47 years and things run out. That’s a “within my lifetime” number for many.

    • InputZero@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      Nail on the head! It’s not that we can’t make products from something other than curde oil, it’s just by far the cheapest. To a lot of people the economy is more important than the environment.

    • pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      1 year ago

      We can make plastic out of fucking algae if we wanted. Doctors aren’t going to run out of gloves because a bunch of internet autists decided to blow up a coal plant.

      I’d be more worried about the people on O2 and life support who need access to electricity. It’s why I support forcing power companies to switch to renewables so we can transition humanely. Note that holding shotguns to oil execs’ heads to make them sign the paperwork is in no way inhumane :P