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Comment by defrost | Hacker News Reader

   Global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and industry totaled 37.15 billion metric tons (GtCO₂) in 2022. Emissions are projected to have risen 1.1 percent in 2023 to reach a record high of 37.55 GtCO₂.

Let's face it, being the largest whale hunter isn't something to boast about.

Instead of pushing upwards to break the 40 Gigatonne per annum ceiling maybe work to reduce consumption patterns, efficiencies, question whether high cost of energy environments are the ideal locations for populations to expand into, etc.

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I was not boasting. But I was echoing the sentiment that we (US) can produce more oil if we want to (as we currently do), as it was an argument against fossil fuel being a limited resource.

The fact that US (Texas in particular) is producing more now, does not mean that the resource is unlimited. Like mentioned before we produce more, but it is more difficult and expensive to produce oil (and not count the ecological impact of fracking).

The only thing that we produce more than ever, means that we are accelerating as we are seeing the wall coming. We are addict to fossil fuel and it is a hell of drug. It is free, we just have to drill. It is energy dense. But like a drug, the more we use it and the less easy it is to use something else.

We need to withdraw, and wean off. The more we wait and the faster the withdrawal would have to be. US needs to build new (extend the old) nuclear reactors, modernize the grid as electricity will power the country more and more, from transportation, heating/cooling, industry, etc.

Fair enough and to be clear I didn't read your comment as such, I added context to the figures to remind others that just because it's there and can be extracted doesn't men that it should.

FWiW I've spent decades in mineral and energy resource exploration and modelling and would likely be regarded by many as "part of the problem".

I'm left with a keen sense of increasing effort for decreasing supply and a strong sense a large part of the problem lies with demand and expectations.

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