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Comment by jeffbee | Hacker News Reader

Talk about it all you want, but know that the fact that the press has run 1000s of stories about the land impact of lithium mining and has never run even one single article about the much, much, much larger land impacts of fossil fuel production is indicative of an organized backroom propaganda effort. Same thing for these other non-issues of renewable energy waste.

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I've seen tons of articles about impacts of fossil fuel production on land.

I just don't see why one mineral being pulled out of the ground seems taboo to talk about because it's potential propaganda, could it not go the other way as well with that logic?

I mean, if we scaled any higher and did replace fossil fuels, would mining lithium/rare metals and the lifespan of batteries/PV panels be worse than mining nat. gas?

These are serious questions that would benefit from a serious calculation.

It's because the scale is completely disproportionate. The largest proposed lithium mine in the world will disturb 6000 acres, a negligible area. In the United Stats alone there are five million acres scraped flat for oil and gas production and 25 million more acres under lease. The entire meme about how lithium mining is a relevant environmental disturbance has been invented out of whole cloth by oil companies.

These are not, in fact, serious questions.

But aren't the scales of production/output disproportionate as well?

What would the impact of mining lithium be if it did need to meet the needs that oil and gas is currently serving?

Comparing the effects of lithium mining vs nat. gas fracking on the land at the expected full scale needs an unbiased approach. Not to mention the supply and humanitarian issues.

The thing you are currently doing is known as JAQing off.

Lithium is not comparable to oil and gas. An EV contains a few kilos of lithium, which is perfectly recyclable and not consumed. Meanwhile the average American motorist buys and burns 2 metric tons of motor fuel every year.

No it's called the socratic method. You've ignored the meat of my question and now try to label it as bad faith I assume with that term.

I was asking about the scale of lithium mining if it were to replace nat. gas and coal for energy production. Not just EVs. Have you seen a study of the projected impact of that?

My dude, did you just compare your behavior in this thread to Socrates?

No my dude, I referenced the term socratic method.

Many people use the method everyday without comparing themselves to the man personally.

When you use the scientific method, you aren't comparing yourself to Francis Bacon are you?

Also, you seemed to have veered off topic, please reply to the last sentence of my last reply if you wish to continue talking to me.

If you're using the socratic method, you're not debating, you're teaching. One interpretation is you have a stance and you're trying to get someone there and not particularly interested in what they have to say.

No it means you are trying to get them to clarify their stance and explain their reasoning so you can understand them better.

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