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Running on Empty: Copper

thehonestsorcerer.substack.com

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Re: Running on Empty: Copper

#61

Post by sehansen »

warbaker wrote: post #20

On aluminum, the author says: > “renewables” cannot provide the stable current and carbon atoms needed to make the process possible This is untrue. Iceland has a huge aluminum industry, using mainly geothermal power: https://energytransition.org/2023/03/geothermal-iceland-this... Iceland alone accounts for 1/10th of global aluminum production! https://www.riotinto.com/en/operations/iceland/isal You do need constant,…

Minor nitpick:

The energy (electricity) they use to smelt aluminium mainly comes from hydropower, around 70% of it. The geothermal boreholes are mainly used for district heating, which is quite a big energy drain in Iceland. And that means that geothermal is the source of around 65% of the energy used in Iceland.

Re: Running on Empty: Copper

#62

Post by kruffalon »

stego-tech wrote: post #55

Taking a different tack to much of the commenters: We’re collectively sitting atop every piece of copper we’ve ever refined, they’re just sitting and rotting in landfills instead of mines. If I were a gambling dinosaur, I’d wager that landfill mining in developed economies will be a decently-sized business in a few decades, as we seek to recapture minerals and materials we once felt were disposable - but whose easily…

Very well said!

I was with you until the 9th word from the end.

I'd say this is a governments issue rather than companies issue.

Re: Running on Empty: Copper

#63

Post by stego-tech »

kruffalon wrote: post #62
stego-tech wrote: post #55

Taking a different tack to much of the commenters: We’re collectively sitting atop every piece of copper we’ve ever refined, they’re just sitting and rotting in landfills instead of mines. If I were a gambling dinosaur, I’d wager that landfill mining in developed economies will be a decently-sized business in a few decades, as we seek to recapture minerals and materials we once felt were disposable - but whose easily…

Very well said! I was with you until the 9th word from the end. I'd say this is a governments issue rather than companies issue.

Oh, I’m 100% with you that governments should be regulating the hell out of this in general. We’re at a place in evolution where we have the capability to exploit the entire planet’s resources and yet have no central planning or regulation authority ensuring we don’t screw ourselves in the process.

But until governments and their people acknowledge their role in dealing with the long term issues, we’re stuck with the infinite-growth perspective of Capital. Considering that’s where the accelerator is pushed down, we need to firmly rebuke and shame their yearly iteration nonsense and promote more sustainable outcomes.

Re: Running on Empty: Copper

#64

Post by Elextric »

defrost wrote: post #12
parliament32 wrote: post #5

Something I could use some clarification on: > Even though the industry would be willing to pay top dollar for each pound of metal delivered, there is simply not much more to be found. Copper bearing formations are not popping up at random, and there is no point in drilling various spots on Earth prospecting for deposits, either. The major formations have already been discovered, and thus the ever increasing investme…

The mining majors, BHP, Rio Tinto, et al have petabytes of surface geochemistry, samples, near surface magnetic maps that penetrate into the crust, 3D seismic maps, drill cores, technical reports on every mine ever, surrounding geology, and good models on where economic feasible (at particular price points) amounts of desirable metals can be found. For example, there are only so many places significant masses of porp…

I can’t take it too seriously. It’s peak oil all over again.

Re: Running on Empty: Copper

#65

Post by projektfu »

chemotaxis wrote: post #2

I think the author is speaking authoritatively about things they may be less familiar with, or where they really want to push a particular doomsday / degrowth agenda (the only prescription at the end the article is that we need to stop technological progress). This paragraph in particular caught my eye: > Bah! Who needs copper anyway, when we have so much aluminum?! > Have you thought about how aluminum is made? Well…

Indeed, an early use for hydroelectric power (1886) was the Cowles process for reducing aluminum. Using solar or wind power is more difficult, but does not have, IMO, insurmountable complications.

Re: Running on Empty: Copper

#66

Post by throwaway173738 »

guenthert wrote: post #52
Glyptodon wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live in a home built after 2000 that had aluminum wires run to its heat pump. A few years back coolant leak from the heat pump lead to huge electric usage before the aluminum wiring lit on fire and shorted itself out. Since repaired, but was told at the time original installer didn't correctly do the aluminum grease on the exposed wire parts. That said I think the wiring there is still thick aluminum. Not sure I re…

> Since repaired, but was told at the time original installer didn't correctly do the aluminum grease on the exposed wire parts. I know nothing about grease, but it's pretty obvious that a fuse was missing. You might want to check that such of correct rating is in place now.

It’s more likely to be a breaker in a sub-panel than a fuse.
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