🛢️ How Clean is that Clean Energy

Here's the real deal on "clean energy" that the media won't spill:

Solar panels

They're not the green saviors they're hyped up to be. Only about 10% of these things get recycled. The rest? Straight to the landfill, where they leak crap like lead and cadmium into our environment. So much for being eco-friendly.

Let's talk raw materials

These panels are junkies for rare earth metals, a lot of which we get from China. This means we're not just dependent on foreign supply chains, but we're also ignoring the dirty side of mining those metals - pollution and habitat destruction.

Then there's the land grab

Solar farms gobble up acres of land. We're talking 5 to 10 acres just for a megawatt of power. That's a lot of space when you start scaling up for real energy needs, clashing with farming or conservation.

Don't get me started on extreme weather

Sure, they work great on a sunny day, but throw in some heavy snow, fog, or a good old-fashioned hailstorm, and their efficiency tanks or they get physically wrecked. So, when you're told solar is reliable, remember, it's only when Mother Nature plays nice.

The truth is…

Solar energy has its place, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking it's the silver bullet for our energy problems. We need to look at the whole lifecycle, push for better recycling, rethink how we source materials, and maybe stop pretending one solution fits all in the energy game.

Sustainable energy is about being smart, not just green. It's time to look under the hood of what we're selling as "clean" and start fixing the real issues.

Thanks for reading today’s Oil Patch!

Stay oily, my friend…and BE GREAT.

—Adam Oxsen

Two quick requests before you go:

• If you found this useful, forward this email to a friend to spread the word. 👇

• Take 1 second to answer the poll below 👇👇

• How can I help? I offer 10-12% fixed-rate energy bonds for accredited investors.

• Connect on X or LinkedIn