Discuss The Energy debate: 2026 edition

[Dopebouy]

Guys i need answers.

i want to know what’s the prime reason to why Europe has introduced big & strict emissions rules for their car industry if their population is just ‘slightly’ more than America?

They’re just killing their car industry for no reason to be honest. People will breathe just fine & the Earth was just gonna get hotter anyway. Besides it’s Proven that EVs also contribute a lot to pollution

So why not go back to engines?

 

[AbsoluteUnit]

Guys i need answers.

i want to know what’s the prime reason to why Europe has introduced big & strict emissions rules for their car industry if their population is just ‘slightly’ more than America?

What the hell are you talking about? Aside from the fact that fossil fuels are inherently limited in nature and will eventually run out, they care about the future of the human race.

They’re just killing their car industry for no reason to be honest. People will breathe just fine & the Earth was just gonna get hotter anyway. Besides it’s Proven that EVs also contribute a lot to pollution

f#ck the car industry. Sacrificing the future of humanity just because a couple dickheads want to drive big engine cars is so unfathomably myopic, I can't even really begin to describe it.

This line of questioning is insane.

 

[Dopebouy]

What the hell are you talking about? Aside from the fact that fossil fuels are inherently limited in nature and will eventually run out, they care about the future of the human race.

Okay fair point. Now tell me, what powers these industries so that they can make batteries that they eventually put in cars…make solar panels etc? Im pretty damn sure it’s Fossil Fuels… Right?

f#ck the car industry. Sacrificing the future of humanity just because a couple dickheads want to drive big engine cars is so unfathomably myopic, I can't even really begin to describe it.

This line of questioning is insane.

All industries directly or indirectly use fossil fuels, eventually polluting the world still. Solar Power cannot be enough.

Which brings me to this question, is our world really being saved? Or are we just in another one of these big Political Kingpin’s business transactions thinking we saving the world?

 

[AbsoluteUnit]

Okay fair point. Now tell me, what powers these industries so that they can make batteries that they eventually put in cars…make solar panels etc? Im pretty damn sure it’s Fossil Fuels… Right?

There's a plethora of options. Wind, Solar, Hydroelectric, Wave, Nuclear

All industries directly or indirectly use fossil fuels, eventually polluting the world still. Solar Power cannot be enough.

Yes, we should be transitioning away from gas, oil and coal for power generation, towards Wind, Solar, Hydroelectric, Wave and Nuclear. Many European nations have less than 40% of their power generation from fossil fuels and that quantity will only drop. France for example generates 95% of their power without fossil fuels i.e ZERO carbon. Of which 70% is nuclear.

Nobody likes their energy prices getting hiked by wars in the Middle East. Which you should be observing with electricity bills and your fill-up at the gas station. Maybe you're rich enough to not give a shit about energy/fuel prices, but I'm not and nor are most people in the world.

Which brings me to this question, is our world really being saved? Or are we just in another one of these big Political Kingpin’s business transactions thinking we saving the world?

You think that all the multi-billion/trillion dollar petrostates and oil companies don't have a vested interest in perpetuating the use of fossil fuels for profit? Lmao.

If the world isn't being saved, its due to the myopic desire for oil barons to continue to make profit at the expense of the rest of humanity because they won't be alive in the future to deal with the consequences.

If we had genuinely tried with renewable energy over the last 30 years, instead of submitting to the bribery and political lobbying of oil companies and petrostates, maybe the world would be in a better position today. If most of our energy generation came from nuclear and renewables across the globe, perhaps the pollution and global warming situation would be acceptable enough to allow us our V8 toys. And that is what they are at the end of the day, rich people's toys.

 

[Design FIRST]

There's a plethora of options. Wind, Solar, Hydroelectric, Wave, Nuclear


Yes, we should be transitioning away from gas, oil and coal for power generation, towards Wind, Solar, Hydroelectric, Wave and Nuclear. Many European nations have less than 40% of their power generation from fossil fuels and that quantity will only drop. France for example generates 95% of their power without fossil fuels i.e ZERO carbon. Of which 70% is nuclear.

Nobody likes their energy prices getting hiked by wars in the Middle East. Which you should be observing with electricity bills and your fill-up at the gas station. Maybe you're rich enough to not give a shit about energy/fuel prices, but I'm not and nor are most people in the world.


You think that all the multi-billion/trillion dollar petrostates and oil companies don't have a vested interest in perpetuating the use of fossil fuels for profit? Lmao.

If the world isn't being saved, its due to the myopic desire for oil barons to continue to make profit at the expense of the rest of humanity because they won't be alive in the future to deal with the consequences.

If we had genuinely tried with renewable energy over the last 30 years, instead of submitting to the bribery and political lobbying of oil companies and petrostates, maybe the world would be in a better position today. If most of our energy generation came from nuclear and renewables across the globe, perhaps the pollution and global warming situation would be acceptable enough to allow us our V8 toys. And that is what they are at the end of the day, rich people's toys.

As fascinating a topic as it is immensely complex. I personally perceive the frequent presentations of immovable ideological entrenchment on both sides of the debate as being obstructive towards embracing reason. And this often results in increasingly convoluted regulation as well as potentially toxic dependancies. In a perfect world, determined, sustainable self-sufficiency regarding energy sources, would be the target. Energy/environmental technology is moving rapidly, hence cutting edge innovation driven transformation would appear possible. Alas, the above mentioned obstruction on both sides of the fence prevents it.

As far as BEVs go...I simply appreciate the driving experience and I suspect that tech will continue to move at a brisk pace, also encompassing the enhancement of an "emotional" audiotactility. At least based on my admittedly limited scope regarding the experience. My 2 Euro cents.

 

[Swissbob]

Guys i need answers.

i want to know what’s the prime reason to why Europe has introduced big & strict emissions rules for their car industry if their population is just ‘slightly’ more than America?

They’re just killing their car industry for no reason to be honest. People will breathe just fine & the Earth was just gonna get hotter anyway. Besides it’s Proven that EVs also contribute a lot to pollution

So why not go back to engines?

Because of the green lobby and some investment funds who are heavy invested in this stuff.

It’s funny that they are closing the nuclear plants in Germany in the same time.

China BTW binned the EV subsidies for 2026, this will have an interesting impact on the EV sales.

The situation is that indeed the world is getting hotter anyway, Europe is too small to have an impact in this regard.

 

[Design FIRST]

It’s funny that they are closing the nuclear plants in Germany in the same time.

Germany's nuclear power reactor "issue" has evolved into a textbook definition of "shooting oneself in the foot". In the end, in light of the regulatory chaos and unwaivering opposition by the considerably large "Atomkraft ? NEIN DANKE !" demographic in Germany, France and Poland will become major beneficiaries as energy exporters to Germany. Of course under the prerequisite that they can actually implement the fast-tracking of their own envisioned cutting edge tech nuclear reactor programs. This applies especially to Poland.

 

[Swissbob]

What’s the point of EVs If you produce electricity with Coal/Oil/Gas Powerplants.

 

[AbsoluteUnit]

Ferdinand Piech would not be happy:

These hood shutlines are miserable. Looks as if it's not properly closed....



Holland is going to build four new reactors.
Germany should build like 20 and become energy independent like France. And they should have started 5 years ago minimum.

I wonder what interests have prevented complete independence from volatile fossil fuel oligopolies/cartels?

People talk about renewables and net zero like they're ideological. I'm sorry but no. I'm not as old as some of you here and I want to have a future for myself and those who follow me. And if that means a few rich people have a few less toys, I'm willing to live with it...

 

[klier]

I wonder what interests have prevented complete independence from volatile fossil fuel oligopolies/cartels?

Left wing lunatics rule and ruin the world. I hate them all.

What’s the point of EVs If you produce electricity with Coal/Oil/Gas Powerplants.

They don't actively poison cities. But I know this is just bait and I am biting.

 

[Design FIRST]

I wonder what interests have prevented complete independence from volatile fossil fuel oligopolies/cartels?

People talk about renewables and net zero like they're ideological. I'm sorry but no. I'm not as old as some of you here and I want to have a future for myself and those who follow me. And if that means a few rich people have a few less toys, I'm willing to live with it...

IMHO, the ultimate goal should be nation state self-sufficiency. Massive innovation in the fields of solar and wind energy and their storage, accompanied with state of the art modular reactors, "bio gas" et al are topics that deserve very significant attention. The banishing of toxic dependancies, in more than one sense of the term, trump IMHO the exclusively ideological "green fundamentalistic" environmental narratives. It has little to do with tree hugging. It is a matter crucial to security, national as well as geopolitical. And the cost factor must be scrutinized and addressed, as well as the removal of sprawling, obstructive bureaucracies in order to relieve it's burden. "Gegenfinanzierung" is what it's called here in Germany. There is too much money flowing into senseless, superfluous administrative "black holes".

 

[SKY]

I wonder what interests have prevented complete independence from volatile fossil fuel oligopolies/cartels?

People talk about renewables and net zero like they're ideological. I'm sorry but no. I'm not as old as some of you here and I want to have a future for myself and those who follow me. And if that means a few rich people have a few less toys, I'm willing to live with it...

Perfect example of how the leftist dogmas can be put together on an internet post. The planet, the rich, the oligipolies…

 

[AbsoluteUnit]

Perfect example of how the leftist dogmas can be put together on an internet post. The planet, the rich, the oligipolies...

Probably not the place to have this discussion.
But what exactly is the oil industry, if not an oligopoly or a cartel. Did everyone forget what happened with OPEC?

Yeah let's double down on oil, while there's a war that's caused the price of oil to double in the space of a couple of weeks.

You can say nebulous stuff like "leftist dogma", but what we're seeing right now with the current oil shocks is very much a reality and it's going to get worse as the extraction cost of oil gets higher and higher as our wells dry up over the next 50-100 years. Even with fracking.

 

[Rolf]

What’s the point of EVs If you produce electricity with Coal/Oil/Gas Powerplants.

We have a big problem in South Africa as over 80% of our electricity is generated by Coal Powered Power Plants as we have an over abundance of coal and thus need to take advantage of it. Also most of our Power Stations are over 40 years old and been not maintained well so running at low efficiency and the quality of the coal used nowadays is bad and destroying the heater boilers. Our only energy supplier is heavily indebted with over R566 billion ($34 bill) and they are increasing the prices of electricity by at least 10% or more every year and now many people are trying to install solar panels in their homes to get away from paying for electricity.

The use of EVs instead of ICE cars have definitely a health benefit reducing carbon monoxide and other toxic gases which help people avoid breathing problems and at the same time reducing the CO2 in the atmosphere and reduce greenhouse warming.

I do believe in the future solar and wind power will increase in South Africa as we have plenty of sunshine and many windy cities especially at the coast (Cape Town, Port Elizabeth etc.). This will reduce our dependence on the coal which itself is toxic.

 

[Design FIRST]

I do believe in the future solar and wind power will increase in South Africa as we have plenty of sunshine and many windy cities especially at the coast (Cape Town, Port Elizabeth etc.).

...and that common "the region does not have much sunshine" argument articulated by solar energy naysayers is increasingly losing it's weight. And judging by the rapid progress made in the technology, pertaining to the energy generated by the panels themselves as well as innovation in storage, the weight of the naysayer arguments will IMHO continue to diminish.

 

[Design FIRST]

...and that common "the region does not have much sunshine" argument articulated by solar energy naysayers is increasingly losing it's weight. And judging by the rapid progress made in the technology, pertaining to the energy *harvested by the panels themselves as well as innovation in storage, the weight of the naysayer arguments will IMHO continue to diminish.

* Correction.

 

[Rolf]

...and that common "the region does not have much sunshine" argument articulated by solar energy naysayers is increasingly losing it's weight. And judging by the rapid progress made in the technology, pertaining to the energy generated by the panels themselves as well as innovation in storage, the weight of the naysayer arguments will IMHO continue to diminish.

Even with basic solar panels nowadays its surprising how much they can charge an electric battery item with clouds and less sunshine.

I have a solar street light I installed in my drive way and on many days when its covered by shade from trees and also cloud cover it still will work at night for at least 2 to 3 hours with strong illumination and the rest of the night with lower illumination but you can still see it working.

 

[MBRulz]

We have a big problem in South Africa as over 80% of our electricity is generated by Coal Powered Power Plants as we have an over abundance of coal and thus need to take advantage of it. Also most of our Power Stations are over 40 years old and been not maintained well so running at low efficiency and the quality of the coal used nowadays is bad and destroying the heater boilers. Our only energy supplier is heavily indebted with over R566 billion ($34 bill) and they are increasing the prices of electricity by at least 10% or more every year and now many people are trying to install solar panels in their homes to get away from paying for electricity.

The use of EVs instead of ICE cars have definitely a health benefit reducing carbon monoxide and other toxic gases which help people avoid breathing problems and at the same time reducing the CO2 in the atmosphere and reduce greenhouse warming.

I do believe in the future solar and wind power will increase in South Africa as we have plenty of sunshine and many windy cities especially at the coast (Cape Town, Port Elizabeth etc.). This will reduce our dependence on the coal which itself is toxic.

Clean energy is the way for SA. Companies like ZeroCarbonCharge are spearheading the use of clean energy for charging stations first on national roads, then later in the cities.

I think the biggest problem in SA is going to be the slow pace at which government is adopting electric mobility, and just about refusing to incentivize tax wise. As expected, they have been caught napping, and the only way to ensure they get to fill their pockets is to stifle progress. I read an article last week that said SANRAL wants to update the Rest and Facilities policy, a move that will hamper anyone who want to setup a charging station that will run off the abundant African sun