Re:Ask HN: What are the big/important problems to work on?
by joncrocks on Monday August 07, 2023 @10:52AM
(#37035275)
I doubt they are scammers in the traditional sense. But it's worth thinking about the total carbon cost to 'capture' and 'store' a given amount of carbon.
What I would be surprised to find is that there was a massive differential between the cost (in carbon) for raw materials, manufacturing, distribution/transportation and running (energy + people costs) and the amount of carbon captured.
It's a bit like perpetual motion machines. If you zoom in enough, they can seem to move forever. But if you zoom out they are getting energy from somewhere.
On the small scale they transform money into sequestered carbon. But how much of that money goes (directly or indirectly) into generating carbon?
What I would be surprised to find is that there was a massive differential between the cost (in carbon) for raw materials, manufacturing, distribution/transportation and running (energy + people costs) and the amount of carbon captured.
It's a bit like perpetual motion machines. If you zoom in enough, they can seem to move forever. But if you zoom out they are getting energy from somewhere.
On the small scale they transform money into sequestered carbon. But how much of that money goes (directly or indirectly) into generating carbon?