How can you possibly think the US military, or any sovereign country, will magically spend an extra $165B a year on meat a year if all of the current consumers magically go vegetarian? Who exactly is going to eat a bunch of extra meat? There will just be fewer meat sales, period, ignoring a short term price drop if everyone magically goes vegetarian on the same day.

How does empowering working class people solve the consumption issue though?

Capacity and generation are two different things. Grid operators have capacity markets that ensure peak load can be met, and incude generations assets, demand response, energy efficiency, etc. Batteries absolutely coumt as capacity so long as they are managed to do so.

They weren’t talking about how long EVs have been around, but for anyone curious EVs generally predate ICE cars and were quite popular around 1900. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_electric_vehicle

We’ve moved from 17% to 40% of total energy production coming from renewables since 2020

This what you said. You’re comparing a 2020 number without nuclear to a 2022 number with nuclear. That’s dumb and misleading. That doesn’t make me a douche, it makes you wrong and petty. Grow up and just try to get your numbers and facts straight.

You said renewables are 40%, which is wrong. Then you sourced articles showing that carbon free sources are 40%, which includes nuclear. Nobody calls nuclear “renewable”, so I suggest getting your language straight so as not to confuse.

Source? I haven’t seen final numbers for 2023 from EIA yet, but 2022 was like 22%. The growth is accelerating as economics change, and in large part the IRA (thanks Biden), but it’s not 40%. I’m speaking of electricity production, but I can’t think of a reasonable metric that’s anywhere near 40% nationally. Let’s try to stick to reality here.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_the_United_States

Awesome. I so wanted the Sanco2 but the price put it out of reach, and we don’t use enough hot water toake the payback remotely reasonable. For anyone else reading, it’s an R744 (CO2) refrigerant system that’s massively better for the environment than HFCs (and HFOs) as well.

There’s a federal tax credit worth 2k for HPWH. I’m not aware of any Ohio specific subsidies, although there are programs coming through the IRA that are run through the states and will offer more incentives.

The people I know with expensive trucks still get everything delivered anyway. There’s always some excuse why their super versatile amazingly useful truck isn’t quite the right tool for the job, but somehow it’s always the right tool to drive around town to their office job or the grocery store. Literally makes zero sense, ever.

I think I gave off the wrong impression that these are more linked than they are, sorry. Many states require cost effective EE because it’s generally good policy (benefits outweigh costs), and some of those benefits include not having to build new capacity. PUCs generally also support infrastructure investments, and with guaranteed rates of return on most T&D for example, it’s a no brainer. So states are often doing both, and there are varying options about the merits of each. To your question though, one notable recent example is the gas pipeline that Gov Cuomo vetoed, which led to more gas efficiency programs in downstate NY.

I’m also embarrassed to report I can’t think of a good source for you since I’m in the industry, other than primary sources like utility financial statements, rate cases, state regulations, etc. Hope this was helpful - it’s a fascinating industry.

This is not a remotely accurate assessment of demand side management programs. Such programs are overwhelmingly required of IOUs by states since they tend to be cheaper than infrastructure upgrades for everyone. Utilities on the other hand tend to prefer infrastructure upgrades because they get a guaranteed rate of return typically. You have this completely backwards.

And the naysayers don’t actually run calculations to see what their true costs might be, they already decided gas is king. A couple of good ol boy type HVAC folks that all say “just get a furnace” is all they need to know, reality be damned.

I don’t agree with generalizing that ROI is slow and small. There are too many variables here specific to each market, location, and home. Someone with an old propane or oil boiler that is already planning to buy a new AC will absolutely see massive ROI going with a heat pump. In the US, federal standards will make furnaces more expensive (condensing only soon) and heat pump costs can be heavily subsidized. I bought a new HP that was cheaper than my neighbors new AC/furnace after incentives, and my running costs will be lower.

This is both very likely true while also being the peak male Lemmy user fantasy that will confuse future alien archaeologists the most. Thanks for sharing!

Seems like we’re stuck in a loop here then. I think you need an engaged populace first to build momentum around political and societal solutions. Which society do you think will force the government to actually solve the problem - a bunch of soft apathetic people blaming everyone else, or a society that at its core actually values sustainability and lives it on a personal level? Pretty sure you know the answer.

You’re basically saying that human culture doesn’t exist. We can foster a culture around sustainability, just like we have previously fostered a culture around greed and excess. Apathy and trying to minimize nudges towards sustainability only support the status quo.

They’re also typically embraced by fossil companies, selling both the disease and cure. If they can socialize the costs of sequestration they can keep drilling for profit. We are in desperate need of a carbon tax.

It’s more like successive generations of inbreeding. Unless you have perfect AI content, perfect meaning exactly mirroring the diversity of human content, the drivel will amplify over time.

You need a history expert for this one. I want to say theft deterrent, and possibly different voltages for niche applications. Also Need Flanders Leftorium.