A collection of steel
A collection of steel
5 comments
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One major point this article overlooks is that CO2 is a byproduct of the iron ore -> steel process. It uses carbon to bind the oxygen molecules in the iron ore (which is mostly Iron Oxide) to produce pure iron and CO2.
It IS possible to create new iron in an induction or electric arc furnace, but you still need to add carbon to drive the chemical reaction that actually purifies the ore.
That said, there are other elements (such as hydrogen which is mentioned once) that can be used to bind with the oxygen instead of carbon, it's just that most of them do so violently. Engineering around that volatility isn't trivial, and sourcing them introduces new logistical problems.
Ultimately, I think forcing carbon capture as part of the process is probably the easiest way to solve the problem. It's not like taking CO2 out of regular air: it is being produced in a controlled environment as part of an industrial system, so engineering a way to separate the carbon and oxygen before it leaves that system should be very feasible.
Just kinda felt like sharing this somewhere 🤷 Kindof a random little rant, but the whole "fuck cars" thing hits a little differently after some time on foot than it did when I just didn't go anywhere. Didn't really seem deserving of its own top-level post soooo hopefully nocritter minds if I ramble a little here 😅
Finding myself carless in a city that's somewhat bus-able, I've found myself repeatedly irritated by how unfriendly everything is to foot traffic. There's very much a feeling of being second-class when I step outside, like "Get the hell off the ground, you're making the cars feel unsafe!" Often there aren't even sidewalks, or the sidewalk is only on one side of the road so I've got to cross the road to avoid just walking on it (or become a goat and walk sideways next to it on the same side, I guess?). Walking anywhere at all feels like I'm a nuisance to all' the cars because everywhere I've been so far (a bit of Minneapolis, for the curious) is designed for cars and against people. Even crossings kinda piss me off because the whole point of those and everything else traffic-related is the cars, and getting pesky people out of the way of the previous cars.
I kinda wanna move somewhere that isn't so damn car-happy just to experience it. ...And then maybe refuse to leave >:D If only 😅 Maybe I can get adopted as a rescue animal or refugee or something.
Anyway, Fuck Cars! They're noisy and pollutey and ugly and they're in my way!
Yes, some parts of the world are alienating human beings :( I think I've read about bike friendly areas in the USA. Here in Europe I guess the car culture is different, though I saw newspaper articles that this year the sales of new cars include more than 50 percent SUVs :( Public transport or bike or walking is what I use and I am happy about the trains but sometimes they're so full of people that it is no fun and a bit of suffering. But ... car free areas and bike lanes FTW!
Oooo that's an exciting phrase :D
So I've kinda been liking buses. Well, "like" is maybe a strong word but they get the job done? My one experience on light rail wasn't great. Flew in during the evening, got led around a little bit, sat on a train full of smoke 😅 Maybe I'll have a different experience if I have a chance to try again. Buses during the day, though, pretty comfy. ... If I ever get a "life" going maybe my tune will change from some kinda rush-hour bus pain 😅
Worse than driving, though? Hmmmm. At least the bus fights should be more interesting than re-reading bumper stickers for the forty-seven millionth time.