▲ 1116 ▼ xkcd #2948: Electric vs Gas (xkcd.com) submitted 2 years ago by schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de to c/xkcd@lemmy.world 728 comments fedilink hide all child comments Alt text: An idling gas engine may be annoyingly loud, but that's the price you pay for having WAY less torque available at a standstill.
[–] rmuk@feddit.uk 5 points 2 years ago (4 children) No, it's renewable. But... not in any practical timeframe. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 8 child comments replies: [–] KevonLooney@lemm.ee 51 points 2 years ago (1 child) That's not the definition of renewable. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [+] lauha@lemmy.one -8 points 2 years ago It is iv we use it sustainably. permalink fedilink source parent [–] Delta_V@lemmy.world 45 points 2 years ago (1 child) Not really. Its trees from a time before micro organisms evolved the ability to eat dead trees. These days, the solar energy collected by trees will get used to power the metabolisms of fungi before those trees can get buried and eventually become new coal & petroleum. I suppose an impact from a sufficiently large asteroid could turn the entire crust of the planet into magma, sterilizing it and therefore opening the possibility that new oil might be created some day. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] AEsheron@lemmy.world 31 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) IIRC it is actually mostly from algea. A small amount from some fern-like plants. By the time trees existed, they were being broken down by bacteria. permalink fedilink source parent [–] lauha@lemmy.one 8 points 2 years ago I think I read somewhere that oil will not be produced anymore because now bacteria can break down that biomass that it previously didn't. Hence, non-renewable even on long timescales. permalink fedilink source parent [–] AeonFelis@lemmy.world -1 points 2 years ago* (1 child) Only if we bring back the dinosaurs. There are six movies (and counting!) explaining why this is not a good idea. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Scubus@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 years ago Technically no. Only if we erase bacteria capable of breaking down trees. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] KevonLooney@lemm.ee 51 points 2 years ago (1 child) That's not the definition of renewable. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [+] lauha@lemmy.one -8 points 2 years ago It is iv we use it sustainably. permalink fedilink source parent
[+] lauha@lemmy.one -8 points 2 years ago It is iv we use it sustainably. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Delta_V@lemmy.world 45 points 2 years ago (1 child) Not really. Its trees from a time before micro organisms evolved the ability to eat dead trees. These days, the solar energy collected by trees will get used to power the metabolisms of fungi before those trees can get buried and eventually become new coal & petroleum. I suppose an impact from a sufficiently large asteroid could turn the entire crust of the planet into magma, sterilizing it and therefore opening the possibility that new oil might be created some day. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] AEsheron@lemmy.world 31 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) IIRC it is actually mostly from algea. A small amount from some fern-like plants. By the time trees existed, they were being broken down by bacteria. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] AEsheron@lemmy.world 31 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) IIRC it is actually mostly from algea. A small amount from some fern-like plants. By the time trees existed, they were being broken down by bacteria. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] lauha@lemmy.one 8 points 2 years ago I think I read somewhere that oil will not be produced anymore because now bacteria can break down that biomass that it previously didn't. Hence, non-renewable even on long timescales. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] AeonFelis@lemmy.world -1 points 2 years ago* (1 child) Only if we bring back the dinosaurs. There are six movies (and counting!) explaining why this is not a good idea. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Scubus@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 years ago Technically no. Only if we erase bacteria capable of breaking down trees. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Scubus@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 years ago Technically no. Only if we erase bacteria capable of breaking down trees. permalink fedilink source parent