Post #2052299

2026-05-05 20:20 UTC

"truly incredible how we've gone from extracting oil from energy to using solar!" well, yes, unless you consider that the amount of energy we have to expend to extract oil has SKYROCKETED over the last 50 years, and so while solar tech has been getting better, it's having to compete against an increasingly failing industry, so of COURSE looks better and better. But if we actually measure the total energy cost of most renewable programs, they take more energy than they output, and most of the energy they take comes from oil energy. AND! that's not even looking at the material and environmental cost of manufacturing batteries and shit - I'm just talking energy here.

Replies (1)

@emsenn@kolektiva.social 2026-05-05 20:24

I am saying this with deep love but so many of you are living deep with your heads in the sand about the actual state our civilization is in. We are spending more energy on energy extraction each year *than we get back* - we crossed that threshold in 2018. Net oil extraction finally tipped towrad decline in 2024. Last year, for every 100 calorie of food we got out of our agriculture system, we had to spend 112 calories of oil energy. By 2050 we're expected to put more than half of our energy use into energy production. The *ONLY* route that is not an absolutely delusional path is that of immediate extreme energy cuts: EXTREME degrowth, taken immediately by the peoples whom are currently consuming that energy. And this will require an immediate cessation of operations of a significant portion of the current systems with which people are not just getting by, but are actively asking for more of: more transport (so we can phase out cars), more this (so we can phase out that). Get rid of the that first. It's the only way. Do it now.

Open ##2052298