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Iran war energy shock sparks global push to reduce fossil fuel dependence

reuters.com

161–170 of 474 posts

Re: Iran war energy shock sparks global push to reduce fossil fuel dependence

#161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The argument that high oil prices are good for America is one of the most ridiculous ideas being pushed right now. Yes, on a trade deficit front, it slightly reduces the net amount of money leaving. But we are also the world’s largest consumer of oil, and it literally powers every part of our economy. Saying that America is better off with high gas prices is like saying Americans will eat more beef if the price of be…

Think of it this way: less trade deficit means more imports that come through without causing extra damage. It means more cheap products of all kinds for everyone. And yes this is exactly how petrostates work. I wonder why is it surprising. Sure their population also pays higher prices for gas at the pump when the oil goes up, but they massively win in every other way. It's simply a long, embedded stereotype of "high…

It causes massive inflation of goods and food prices, as farming and supply chains are heavily dependent on fuel prices. How is runaway inflation “massively winning in every other way” for regular americans?

Re: Iran war energy shock sparks global push to reduce fossil fuel dependence

#162
post #109

As someone who's been pushing for renewables for quite a while now it's dismaying that it's taken a war to accelerate this push, but I'm glad to see that it's happening at least. It's doubly dismaying that my own country (US) is still doubling down on fossil fuels despite everything. The concern about a new dependency on China is real, but renewables do have the advantage that once you have the infrastructure in plac…

I've been arguing with Europeans on twitter (including an environmental scientist) who believe this war shows we need to resume drilling in the North Sea and Groningen. It feels like this collective insanity will never end

> we need to resume drilling in the North Sea and Groningen

Well, there's also the simple reality that the US doesn't actually need fossil fuels from the Middle East or Russia in the same way Europe does. It affects prices here, obviously, and an increase in energy prices can do severe damage to the economy, but it's not a potentially existential crisis in the same way.

Re: Iran war energy shock sparks global push to reduce fossil fuel dependence

#163

Iran tried to ditch fossil fuel for atomic but cIA said no.

Now you see, the only country to have used a nuclear weapon in anger also elected itself as world arbitrator of who gets energy and who doesn't, because reasons.

Every country should be speed running nuclear tech as fast as possible if only to scare the freedom fighters away...

Re: Iran war energy shock sparks global push to reduce fossil fuel dependence

#165
Wonder if Chinese solar involution finally going to end, time to jack up prices, and crank factories to full utilization. PRC can make enough solar to replace global oil / lng and good parts of coal in ~10 years, assuming storage also scales proportionally soon.

Re: Iran war energy shock sparks global push to reduce fossil fuel dependence

#166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But why does US need any of that? It's a massive exporter of fossil fuels and will be much richer as a result (but yes just as every other way of getting richer, it will also increase inequality).

Being a net exporter of a global commodity is only relevant in an extremely acute crisis (e.g. WWIII). Plus one of the reasons why we export so much oil is because it's cheaper to import oil to a refinery in New Jersey from Saudi Arabia than to get it there from Texas due to some very stupid US laws.

Assuming you mean the Jones Act?

Re: Iran war energy shock sparks global push to reduce fossil fuel dependence

#167

As someone who's been pushing for renewables for quite a while now it's dismaying that it's taken a war to accelerate this push, but I'm glad to see that it's happening at least. It's doubly dismaying that my own country (US) is still doubling down on fossil fuels despite everything. The concern about a new dependency on China is real, but renewables do have the advantage that once you have the infrastructure in plac…

[flagged]

Re: Iran war energy shock sparks global push to reduce fossil fuel dependence

#168
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why would you invest in nuclear power, which is several times more expensive per kwh Because the related lobby pays well and a huge power station project (which runs well into the tens of billions) has much larger space for bribes

Alternatively, because nuclear power still works at night.

If only we had some way to store energy

Re: Iran war energy shock sparks global push to reduce fossil fuel dependence

#169
Slightly different reasons, of course, but I imagine that right about now the regime in Cuba is wishing they had put more effort into solar. Being heavily reliant on oil when you do not produce it yourself is a vulnerable position to be in.

Re: Iran war energy shock sparks global push to reduce fossil fuel dependence

#170
post #109

As someone who's been pushing for renewables for quite a while now it's dismaying that it's taken a war to accelerate this push, but I'm glad to see that it's happening at least. It's doubly dismaying that my own country (US) is still doubling down on fossil fuels despite everything. The concern about a new dependency on China is real, but renewables do have the advantage that once you have the infrastructure in plac…

I've been arguing with Europeans on twitter (including an environmental scientist) who believe this war shows we need to resume drilling in the North Sea and Groningen. It feels like this collective insanity will never end

Yes, this is correct, Europe energy policy is catastrophically behind and needs to pursue all paths simultaneously, because the future is very murky, Europe needs a LOT of power, and it's not clear which will work best:

- Continue building out solar + battery storage

- Resume drilling in domestic accessible offshore locations safe from trade disruptions

- Recommission and build new nuclear plants

- Build LNG import terminals to eliminate dependence on Russian gas

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