I think all the information pretty well-known in this community, but here’s a summary:

• Renewables (specifically solar + batteries) are an inevitable future of energy production due to technological advancements and the economies of scale improvements
  • We are at a tipping point where solar + batteries is now the cheapest energy source available
  • Land use for solar farms is not a big issue, they are much more energy efficient per unit area than the ethanol corn that currently plagues the US
  • Recycling solar panels is relatively easy because they are mostly glass and aluminum, which we know how to recycle well, and we could probably figure out silicon too
  • Recycling batteries is a harder problem but possible too if we put some effort in; currently the recycling capacity is lacking because there’s not enough batteries being recycled, since most of them are still working fine in EVs sold since the start of EV boom
• Renewables are better than fossil fuels because they do not require continuous extraction; when a solar panel or battery has been “used up” and is degraded, it can be recycled, whereas fossil fuels can only be burned once after extraction
  • The end goal is an almost-closed-loop system for all energy production, similar to what we have with lead-acid batteries already
  • Worst-case, we can literally just grind up batteries into battery mush and refine it, same as we do with ores from which the raw materials come in the first place, but likely something better is possible
• Alec describes his personal politics, how he values labor and working-class people, and how he thinks immigrants are hard-working people who need to be welcomed and cared for
  • Trump and Republicans as a whole are fascists and lie constantly, which needs to be called out and stopped
  • ICE must be abolished and its thugs tried for their crimes
  • Democrats are not doing enough but it’s still better to vote for them
  • People need to organize with their neighbors, care for each other first and foremost, and defend themselves against the government

Alec’s personal views are a relief, I think it’s a shame he didn’t go deeper into them before