this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2023
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Monocrystalline solar doesn't involve rare earths at all, idiot.
If you want to pearl clutch about them, pearl clutch about gadolinium in nuclear plants.
They aren't pearl clutching, they're stating the obvious fact that humanity is pumping out solar panels as fast as macroeconomic (or perhaps geographic) forces will allow.
Monocrystalline panels take quite a lot of pure silicon, which may not technically be rare earth, but it is in quite high demand right now.
This is even more ridiculous.
It's sand. Literally the most abundant element in earth's crust. And quartz sand isn't even as particular as construction sand, because only the composition is important, not the shape.
You're literally pearl clutching about the scarcity of Silicon as a way of justifying calling it a rare earth.
The only limitation is manufacturing, and you can build manufacturing and the output faster than you can build a nuclear reactor. You're also comparing an industry that's adding >300TWh/yr to one that is adding zero net (and about 20TWh/yr gross) as if the latter is significant and the former is not.
The insane reaches that nukebros go to to justify their insanity would be comical if it wasn't so harmful.