humanspiral
@humanspiral@lemmy.ca
- Comment on What are the exact ramifications and consequences of the recent meeting with Zelenskyy and Trump/JD? 55 seconds ago:
Obviously war on Russia is the smartest thing ever, and has historically been so successful. So the natural reaction when your main war sponsor backs away is to double down and buy that former sponsor’s weapons while sacrificing social spending to do it. Totally not what a CIA stooge that says “Fuck Europe” would say, and better be a CIA stooge than have a brain cell against suicide.
- Comment on Texas Needs Equivalent of 30 Reactors to Meet Data Center Power Demand 1 hour ago:
I recognize that failing, but afaiu, it applied to a limited number of customers who “gambled on variable rates”. The political leadership there also shit talks renewables, putting false blame on them for grid failures, but the actual operational environment still permits a lot of renewable expansion: The basis for calling their system the least corrupt.
- Comment on Texas Needs Equivalent of 30 Reactors to Meet Data Center Power Demand 1 hour ago:
if we add up initial installation cost + running cost + replacement cost long term (say, 50 years), are batteries generally cheaper?
LFP batteries are the cheapest and also last the longest. Race car EVs want the more energy dense NMC chemistry that was the original lithium formula. With 4 hour storage/discharge instead of smaller 1 or 2 hours, LFP batteries can last 10000 cycles which is 30 years on a daily charge/discharge cycle. A couple of years ago, this battery chemistry was $300/kwh and still cheaper than nuclear. They are now below $100/kwh, with some Chinese EVs having a free car at $300/kwh price for just the battery pack component. EVs permit a private investment to provide grid service that helps pay for EV, but at no rate payer passed down capital cost.
Batteries don’t really have operating costs. Nuclear has a lot of maintenance costs especially when its time to push plants past 60 years. Diablo Canyon is spending $5B for 5 year extension. That could buy 5 times the solar power (at least more total power output over 5 years) for 30+ years instead.
- Comment on What are the exact ramifications and consequences of the recent meeting with Zelenskyy and Trump/JD? 2 hours ago:
it has become obvious to the EU leaders that Russia is a hostile power on their doorstep and they are on their own
That is the sad propaganda fed by US empire used to submit them to Ukraine war they provoked. Ultimate CIA play to fight Russia with 0 US cost, while paying for US weapons. Russia should be looked at as a friend.
- Comment on What are the exact ramifications and consequences of the recent meeting with Zelenskyy and Trump/JD? 2 hours ago:
There will be peace in Ukraine!!! 60% chance. Along that, there will be a more multipolar world where Russia and China have more influence over former US colonies.
The other 40% chance is NATO colonies suicide themselves for CIA agenda of pathethic foolishness of diminishing Russia, while also begging the US to destroy them more, and begging the US to allow them the privilege of antagonizing China.
Europe is going full Tropic Thunder over this in pathethicness. All swearing to keep war on Russia, while Italy is begging all of them to have a US summit so that they can further subjugate themselves to Trump. Answer to world is not demonic wars destined to fail. And Europe must eliminate their CIA agents sacrificing their prosperity. Only 60% chance they wake up from the opportunity though.
- Comment on Texas Needs Equivalent of 30 Reactors to Meet Data Center Power Demand 3 hours ago:
It’s lower initial cost, sure, but what about longer term? Surely battery costs add up long term as they need to be expanded and replaced, making nuclear more attractive after 10-20 years.
No. Nuclear also has fairly high operations/staff costs, and fuel is highly variable and more expensive the more other nuclear plants there are. You mentioned the possibility of charging batteries (Hydrogen also possible) from nuclear, to handle peak day use/transmission, but batteries pair better with solar, and as a total package can serve same “baseload” purpose as nuclear but cheaper. There are no long term benefits to nuclear… economic ones ignoring weapons motivations.
- Comment on Texas Needs Equivalent of 30 Reactors to Meet Data Center Power Demand 4 hours ago:
Yes, both can charge batteries. Solar charges then at 10x less cost, and combined solar+batteries provides the same total “baseload function” at 2x-4x less cost, and can be up and running in 1 year instead of 10, and expanded the year after that. It’s even a myth that nuclear uses less land. You can use the land under solar, and you don’t need exclusion zones around reactors and uranium mines
- Comment on Texas Needs Equivalent of 30 Reactors to Meet Data Center Power Demand 4 hours ago:
Just that the lack of cheap energy built/connected is a function of all of the obstacles put in the way of those projects. They get done in Texas more than other places that “put out a better virtue vibe”, but behind the scenes put up obstacles.
- Comment on Texas Needs Equivalent of 30 Reactors to Meet Data Center Power Demand 5 hours ago:
Compared to California, where everything is done to increase customer rates, or most other states where long wait lines to connect power occur, you can measure effective corruption by how much energy additions are made, including home solar. You can be critical of their exposure to power system failures, but that doesn’t make the system corrupt.
- Comment on Texas Needs Equivalent of 30 Reactors to Meet Data Center Power Demand 5 hours ago:
Using existing infrastructure for backup/resilience as renewables are ramped up is the ideal. Was German last government’s approach. Cheaper (free) than even maintaining/refurbishing aging nuclear, allowing for private sector to expand renewables (also free). Standby payments to stay open and ready is cheap, and permits rapdid renewables to decrease their peaker use.
“Baseload” nuclear has the inverse problem of renewables. It needs to sell all of its very expensive power near 24/7. Costs being dominated by its initial building, means that half capacity is double the breakeven power revenue. Nuclear needs to suppress cheaper energy to be viable, and in the ultra optimistic (Vogtle took 20 years) 10 year buildout period, renewables must be suppressed so that when the ON switch is set, full power sales occur.
France has a ton of nuclear and it is on the cheaper end for electricity rates in Europe
France has understood that building new nuclear should wait until 2060s, when possible construction technology is advanced enough. The heyday of nuclear came when electricity demand was growing fast, and fears of available reserves and geopolitics affecting alternatives. Coal is also excessively polluting and dirty, in a locally displeasing way. The environment of alternatives is much different today.
- Comment on Texas Needs Equivalent of 30 Reactors to Meet Data Center Power Demand 22 hours ago:
Can solar and battery production keep up with expanding demand?
China is expanding so fast that they are accused of overproducing, and so supply capacity is not only there, it can increase further.
Usually the proper solution is a mix of technologies. It shouldn’t be solar vs nuclear vs wind, but a mixture.
The main benefit of wind is in battery reduction. A capacity equal to lowest night demand. Wind often produces longer hours than solar per day. The predictability of solar allows clear power forecasts, and then enough solar for needs with a small grid connection allowing both monetizing surpluses, and having resilience in shortfalls. Nuclear has no economic or climate roles, for being both too expensive and of too long a delay.
I also think hydrogen is an interesting option as well, since it’s sort of an alternative to batteries,
Hydrogen is the solution for having unlimited renewables and being able to monetize all of their surpluses. It is a bonus to be able to provide emergency/peak power, including renting a vehicle to have bonus value of powering a building. For today, backup fossil fuel generators can still provide resilience value to solar.
- Comment on Texas Needs Equivalent of 30 Reactors to Meet Data Center Power Demand 1 day ago:
First 0 nuclear reactors will be built anywhere in US before 2035.
Texas is actually a renewables leader because, believe it or not, it has the least corrupt grid/utility sector, and renewables are the best market solution.
Even with 24/7 datacenter needs, near site solar + 4 hour batteries is quicker to build than fossil fuel plants and long transmission, and it also allows an eventual small grid connection to both provide overnight resilience from low transmission utilization fossil fuel as peakers anywhere in the state as well as export clean energy on sunnier days.
Market solutions, despite hostile governments, can reduce fossil fuel electricity even with massive demand surge. One of the more important market effects is that reliance of mass fossil fuel electricity expansion and expensive long high capacity transmission, would ensure a high captive cost at high fuel costs because of mass use, in addtion to extorting all regular electricity consumers. Solar locks in costs forever, including potentially reducing normal consumer electricity costs.
- Comment on “It’s a lemon”—OpenAI’s largest AI model ever arrives to mixed reviews 1 day ago:
Not an expert in the field, but OP seems to be using relevant metrics to criticize model cost/performance.
One reason to dislike OpenAI is its “national security ties”. It can probably get the “wrong customers” paying whatever expense it is.
- Comment on He thinks they'll just GIVE him money? 2 days ago:
There’s about 300k people outside the US with net worth of $30M+, which is a reasonable estimate from someone who can get the tax break advantages associated with gold card to come live in this shithole.
- Comment on fish roast 4 days ago:
Seems to have a really large head and small body though… ???
- Comment on Can I still consider myself a “young woman” after I turn 24? I turn 24 in March (next month). 1 week ago:
Leornado DiCaprio says you got 1 more year!
- Comment on Why would America declaring cartels terrorist organizations be a problem for Mexico? 1 week ago:
Drug prohibition is awesome for governments because it means permission to bypass the laws. CIA has definitely funded operations through drugs, and have significant responsibility in crack epidemic. I’m unaware of direct links to Mexican cartels though.
- Comment on Why would America declaring cartels terrorist organizations be a problem for Mexico? 1 week ago:
. So, what happens if a Mexican politician was accepting bribes from Narcos and passing legislation favourable to them? When does that become the state sponsoring terrorism?
US has a shaddy history, and near past. Nicaragua contras (freedom fighters???) funded through Columbia/Panama cocaine. Venezuela last election meddling funding Narco gangs to burn things, and previous election, declaring legitimate president to be the main drug lord of the country.
- Comment on Why would America declaring cartels terrorist organizations be a problem for Mexico? 1 week ago:
If US declares a group in a country to be terrorists US entitles itself to bomb them, and do whatever else seems entitleable.
- Comment on In the US, it's finally socially acceptable again to clap when the plane lands 1 week ago:
I learned clapping was unappreciated the day of this week’s plane crash, that I was scheduled to land at same airport that day. My reply is that us normal people are just happy to land upright. We all clapped when landing the next day.
- Comment on place yer bets 1 week ago:
Everyone saying “they can evacuate” clearly doesn’t remember how bad the covid response was.
or not paying attention to political winds welcoming the evacuees.
It would make sense to have a more cooperative world, even if cooperation involves “victims” compensating those able to protect them. Hope the US can continue to contribute tracking resources, at least.
- Comment on So, is the USA screwed? 1 week ago:
Everyone here was alive when the invasion started. Russia invaded Ukraine.
No, you just woke up then. Israel “loved Palestinians” before history started on October 7th. When history started on 9/11, it was proof that “they just hate us for our freedom”.
Russia’s red lines for not being forced into the Ukraine war were consistent prior to war, as they are now. It is west/Ukraine who lied their way through Minsk process.
- Comment on So, is the USA screwed? 1 week ago:
no one ever counters how wonderful you life is for having a war on Russia. Post was about saving the world.
- Comment on So, is the USA screwed? 1 week ago:
There are some seeds of hopefulness this week.
20% of savings will be put towards a “freedom dividend”. With cuts to military.
Freedom dividends is answer to everything. Disempowers government discretion, empowers people. Sales taxes and carbon taxes directly funding dividends becomes progressive taxes. Transferring “conditional poverty welfare” to dividends is path to eliminating homelessness, and not having a 50% clawback on work income that is a huge work disincentive.
Progressive versions of UBI/freedom dividends is just a higher amount with higher taxes. But a conservative version that still tries to maintain (as close as legally allowed systemic) slavery, is still a path to a long term sustainable fix for country.
End to proxy war on Russia.
Facts genuinely support that US/NATO controlled/manipulated Ukraine into provoking war on Russia. By far the most demonic war the US has ever started, with specific objective of diminishing Russia to the last Ukrainian. That Blackrock can get cheap land and resources in the end does not help Americans. Nothing about this war helps world. Climate sustainability cannot be a 2nd priority to war, and oil industry profits, and forcing massive diesel use and refinery terrorism to operate the war. Pure demonic hatred/mission to destroy/destabilize Russia is not going to get it to cooperate on energy transition. Before Biden, they were cooperating with Europe to mutual benefit.
Massive war spending increases from NATO to match forced Russian/China production increases is not path to human sustainability, or even a path to likely victory over Russia/China. Getting the DNC to force us into candidacy of the most republican/neocon/zionist candidate possible makes all progressive policies impossible due to lower priority. Both a small UBI, and war de-escalation, means having a progressive alternative have a chance, instead of appealing to the Dick/Liz Cheney wing of the democratic party.
- Comment on ‘If 1.5m Germans have them there must be something in it’: how balcony solar is taking off 2 weeks ago:
Balcony solar is a set of diy technologies that require no utility permissions.
In Germany, NL, you can just plug it into socket and it works somehow.
In us you can use powerstations and also adapters that sync draw from battery as it charges from ac in house.
It pays for itself even with more expensive equipment, by not needed license, permission, that can lead to cheap efficient panels costing over 3$ per watt. Small systems that just offset use instead of selling back, have higher revenue offsets in high per kwh priced markets.
- Comment on Anonymous: Trump is making America weaker and we’ll exploit it - News Cafe 2 weeks ago:
If it’s not card carrying white republicans hacking America, we’re going to have a problem with it.
- Comment on New bird flu variant found in Nevada dairy cows has experts sounding alarms: ‘We have never been closer to a pandemic from this virus’ 2 weeks ago:
withdrawn us from the WHO.
This is happening specifically in US because of its intensive dairy/poultry practices. It is a CDC matter. There happens to exist a chicken vaccine, but “concerns over exports of broiler chickens complying with foreign rules” stops its use. No idea if it makes the chickens unsafe to eat or if it’s just never been tested.
- Comment on New bird flu variant found in Nevada dairy cows has experts sounding alarms: ‘We have never been closer to a pandemic from this virus’ 2 weeks ago:
Everyone I know who was anti-vax first started with the position that covid was fake. They all look at avian flu as just yet another “attack for pure inconvenience” without any giant profit motive.
- Comment on what if another country staged a coup in the US and deposed trump? 3 weeks ago:
Every one important nodding along with presidential powers over consititution, and election results, is not a coup. Fixing it would be a coup.
- Comment on what if another country staged a coup in the US and deposed trump? 3 weeks ago:
Never mind another country. No country’s constitution is immune to the military taking over. Israel first, oligarchy 2nd, is a good case for military intervention that couldn’t do any worse. Military rule doesn’t mean aggressiveness towards other nations.