General Discussion

hunter

(40,860 posts)

53. It's always something tomorrow.

Wed May 13, 2026, 05:34 PM

May 13

Fusion energy, magic batteries, the hydrogen economy...

So many of these ideas, which I first started exploring in the 'seventies, keep coming back like zombies only to disappoint again and again.

Meanwhile humanity's dependence on fossil fuels increases.

Unlike nuclear power, "renewable" energy is not an existential threat to the fossil fuel industry. I think that explains a lot.

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Wednesdays rictofen raging moderate

122 replies

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BURGUM: When the sun goes down, solar produces zero electricity HUFFMAN: I want to enter into the record this amazing [View all] demmiblue May 13 OP

OMFG Chicagogrl1 May 13 #1

MTG got ridiculed for saying the same thing... regnaD kciN May 13 #2

He's never seen the solar path lights they sell in the stores dalton99a May 13 #3

I have four different sets of them in my garden and by my door. niyad May 13 #11

Thanks for that. I don't have outside outlets and would like to have lights outside. Just hadn't thought it through Amaryllis May 13 #75

You are most welcome. There are so many kinds available. Have fun choosing! niyad May 13 #76

Costco has had some pretty ones in the past. AllyCat May 13 #86

Dollar store even has them NHvet Thursday #105

Burgum wanting a rational discussion on subject he doesn't understand. txwhitedove May 13 #4

you can't understand something when your livelihood depends on ignorance DBoon May 13 #23

... eppur_se_muova May 13 #58

He understands it. He misinforms, gaslights, obfuscates, lies by design. LuvLoogie May 13 #61

Sinclair Lewis understood Burgum's ilk charliea May 13 #66

He cannot possibly be this stupid mcar May 13 #5

Of course he can! Why do you think the puppeteers chose him? niyad May 13 #7

He, like the rest of the minions, sold his soul to TSF mcar May 13 #9

You are assuming that they had souls to sell? niyad May 13 #12

Good point mcar May 13 #54

Disagree! Ray Bruns Thursday #95

He is not stupid. Disingenuous yes but stupid he is not. Botany Thursday #101

One of two things is true of Burgum meow2u3 May 13 #6

He could be that dumb, and still helping to line the pockets of the niyad May 13 #8

Extraction, vulture capitalism's engine burns fossil fuel Magoo48 May 13 #42

He seriously just might be that dumb Seinan Sensei May 13 #49

Both could be true... AZ8theist Thursday #92

Actually, the belief that batteries are sustainable is... NNadir May 13 #10

What are suggesting instead? MadameButterfly May 13 #15

I willingly take some flak for my position that there is... NNadir May 13 #19

Nuclear has a role to play liberalgunwilltravel May 13 #22

I am an expert on this topic, having studied it for decades. NNadir May 13 #25

Nuclear is fine as part of the solution liberalgunwilltravel May 13 #28

I am always asked this question, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. NNadir May 13 #36

For the uninitiated (like me), DME stands for dimethyl ether. TheRickles May 13 #52

I do not support DME from dangerous natural gas. As is the case with hydrogen itself, exergy is destroyed under... NNadir May 13 #55

I heard that we can't produce the steel needed for SMRs anymore. SonOfNebanaube May 13 #79

Chornobyl converted me from being an uneducated antinuke to a well educated nuclear advocate. NNadir Thursday #93

If you remember the remark made by the nonscientist, Louis Strauss, the "bad guy" in the movie Oppenheimer... NNadir Thursday #94

What about them? Boo1 Friday #114

I've been down this road MadameButterfly Friday #120

The finest minds of the 21st century understand that nuclear energy is not the only form of sustainable energy. thought crime May 13 #84

We have a Nuke plant in Kansas and we've been RAPED by it on rates since 1985 Bengus81 Thursday #98

Nevertheless the planet has been raped by fossil fuels. NNadir Thursday #99

How much do you pay for electricity? hunter Thursday #107

Maybe nuclear? Mossfern May 13 #20

You need power liberalgunwilltravel May 13 #30

Thanks Mossfern May 13 #59

Hydrogen, whether generated by clean nuclear power or by so called "renewable energy" is a terrible idea as a... NNadir May 13 #41

Thank you Mossfern May 13 #60

Well the good thing about admitting one knows little - the excellent thing in fact - is that one's mind is open. NNadir May 13 #63

This message was self-deleted by its author MadameButterfly May 13 #16

I'm Sorry but what you say is not the whole story. liberalgunwilltravel May 13 #21

At Field Station Berlin we used lead-acid batteries in our powerhouse jmowreader May 13 #48

Hmm... the smell: would exposure be detrimental w all that lead or a short time there would prevent that electric_blue68 May 13 #56

Once the lead is cast into plates and fixed into a cell it's no problem, so long as it stays there jmowreader May 13 #87

TY for explanation electric_blue68 Saturday #121

chemical batteries are only one type of battery lapfog_1 May 13 #32

LFP batteries don't have cobalt (or even nickel) however. Disaffected May 13 #38

It's always something tomorrow. hunter May 13 #53

Fusion energy and the hydrogen economy are very iffy alright but, Disaffected May 13 #73

Magic in the sense that they would allow us to quit both fossil fuels and nuclear power. hunter Thursday #89

I don't think anyone is seriously claiming batteries will reach utopia, Disaffected Thursday #91

Sorry to disappoint, but "renewables" are less than 10% of China's primary energy... hunter Thursday #106

"renewables" are less than 10% of China's primary energy..." Disaffected Thursday #108

There was all sorts of happy talk about renewable energy in China... hunter Thursday #112

The Trump administration is trying to boost nuclear energy thought crime May 13 #88

I have spent decades in the primary scientific literature and as a result, I have very little patience for handwaving. NNadir May 13 #62

Good grief, I'll not waste time trying to respond to all your "points". Disaffected May 13 #68

Um, kiddie...China is NOT a Luddite country. It's become the world leader in science, since in the US abrogated... NNadir Friday #115

Ugh. Disaffected Friday #117

Trust me, I'm well aware that there are people who cannot be "convinced" of anything. They're not especially bright... NNadir Friday #118

I think we have talked about this before. I am hearing that there are companies that PatrickforB May 13 #46

In applications that are not sensitive to energy density, USAF Brat May 13 #57

I used to be totally off grid with batteries but connected to grid and now can watch my electric metor spin backwards womanofthehills Friday #113

Rs also like to say when there's no wind blowing KS Toronado May 13 #13

🤣🤣🤣 ultralite001 May 13 #14

I had an experience several months ago with a MAGA about wind energy storage. wnylib May 13 #70

Also, wind farms are placed in windy places womanofthehills Friday #116

Amen KS Toronado Friday #119

He know that.. he's Trumps jester. BradBo May 13 #17

Literally... BurnDoubt May 13 #18

This old girl would just say, it seems it can get complicated. Joinfortmill May 13 #24

Batteries are a regressive tax on low income people... hunter May 13 #26

LOL popsdenver May 13 #44

Hoover dam has never produced as much electricity in a single year... hunter May 13 #67

I guess popsdenver May 13 #69

The argument against renewable energy is an alternative form of climate change denial. thought crime May 13 #47

"the sole purpose of which is to assuage the guilt that affluent people feel for their environmentally destructive lifes DBoon May 13 #85

Doh! Dave Bowman May 13 #27

Well, batteries Manatee May 13 #29

Ouch! Chasstev365 May 13 #31

My outdoor solar lights stay on all night. Are they possessed? twodogsbarking May 13 #33

The lengths these... relogic May 13 #34

Yes, and when the sun goes down there is no photosynthesis and the plants all die. dedl67 May 13 #35

+1 dalton99a May 13 #40

BURGUM... littlemissmartypants May 13 #37

An overly simple idea Crawford May 13 #39

Enough with these "The gentleman..." swong19104 May 13 #43

"Are you a fucking idiot?" I love that. Buddyzbuddy May 13 #50

The same basic argument is made for wind jmowreader May 13 #45

I covered the absurdity of this argument previously, discussing the amount of cobalt required to cover a month of... NNadir May 13 #51

The Tesla 3 battery, the one "currently" manufactured Disaffected May 13 #83

We're saved then!!!!! A lot has been written about these batteries it turns out, and a full commentary... NNadir Thursday #97

Don't bother, Disaffected Thursday #102

Well, I'll comment despite your disinterest on the science... NNadir Thursday #104

Good one. Please explain this very novel and new concept to me. Thanks. efhmc May 13 #64

He is his boss's servant D_Master81 May 13 #65

Although Solar Syastems produce NO POWER at night... WarGamer May 13 #71

That moment of "sunlight" exposed Burgum to be oasis May 13 #72

According to Bergum, solar is "intermittent" and not secure Renew Deal May 13 #74

They are going to complain that some other power source is interruptable during RockRaven May 13 #77

Genius that one is BillJoeBobBeauregard May 13 #78

just have to put in this reply and a response to the reply: orleans May 13 #80

Is there a Nobel Prize for stupidity? Permanut May 13 #81

Yes. It's called the FIFA Peace Prize. Ray Bruns Thursday #96

For the next news flash - wind turbines stop generating when there is no wind! Aussie105 May 13 #82

Australia can become a global energy powerhouse thought crime Thursday #100

You could put solar panels near hydro dams and applegrove Thursday #90

That has been done ("stored hydro") but Disaffected Thursday #111

I'm guessing Burgum self-identifies as an energy expert Torchlight Thursday #103

MaddowBlog-On renewable energy, Interior's Burgum offers a case study in willful ignorance LetMyPeopleVote Thursday #109

Breaking news: Batteries LetMyPeopleVote Thursday #110

This made me smile LetMyPeopleVote Saturday #122