Nice simile, Indyvidual, but it cuts the other way.

The “unrealistic likeable image” was always fossil fuels: cheap stickers on bills while the real costs were hidden in subsidies, pollution, and health impacts.

Renewables are the opposite. They’ve been scrutinised from day one, every cost and flaw magnified precisely because they’re pitched as clean.

And if you want to talk about “outfall & waste,” coal ash, oil spills, and gas leaks dwarf anything solar panels or turbines produce.

So if we’re sticking with your analogy, fossil fuels are the beauty industry - layers of makeup to hide the mess. Renewables are the first serious attempt to actually wash the face.

Just spotted this on the Net,

100 Million Pounds in comparison to how many Billions here ?

A new hydrogen combustion engine has received official approval for sale and use across Europe.
JCB has marked a major milestone in sustainable technology with the approval of its hydrogen combustion engine for commercial use across Europe.
The company, which has invested £100 million into the groundbreaking project, is the first in the construction industry to develop a fully operational hydrogen-powered engine. After three years of dedicated work by a team of 150 engineers, JCB has secured official certification from 11 European licensing authorities, including those in the UK, Germany, France, and Spain.
This approval paves the way for the commercial sale and deployment of hydrogen-powered construction and agricultural machinery, with additional countries expected to grant certification in 2025.
JCB Chairman Lord Bamford hailed this as a historic moment for the company and the industry, emphasizing hydrogen’s potential as a zero-emission solution for heavy equipment. Already, over 130 hydrogen-powered engines have been produced, powering JCB’s backhoe loaders, Loadall telescopic handlers, and generators.
These machines are undergoing real-world testing at customer sites, demonstrating the feasibility of hydrogen technology in demanding environments. With this significant regulatory approval, JCB is positioned at the forefront of the hydrogen revolution, setting a new standard for sustainable innovation in heavy machinery.

Renewables are the opposite. They’ve been scrutinised from day one, every cost and flaw magnified precisely because they’re pitched as clean.
John Daysh,
That is simply not true because the main issue has not yet arisen & that is how to dispose of all the junk !

It's absolutely true, Indyvidual.

//That is simply not true because the main issue has not yet arisen & that is how to dispose of all the junk!//

That “main issue” has already arisen. Solar panels, turbine blades, and batteries have been coming to end-of-life for years now - and recycling, reuse, and redesign programs are scaling up alongside them.

- Solar panels: Europe, Japan, and the US already have specialist recycling plants recovering silicon, silver, and glass.

- Blades: First-generation fiberglass blades are being repurposed for construction materials, and new designs are built with recyclable resins.

- Batteries: Cobalt and lithium recovery is expanding fast - in fact, recycled material is already feeding back into new production lines.

In other words, the “junk” you say is looming is exactly what the industry is building systems to handle. And unlike coal ash ponds, oil sludge, or mine tailings - which just pile up permanently - renewables’ waste is finite, traceable, and increasingly reusable.

So no, this isn’t some hidden Achilles’ heel. It’s a problem that’s already on the table, with solutions improving every year.

Thanks Indyvidual for giving us an update on hydrogen technology. At least hydrogen is it's own storage mechanism unlike renewables. And I like the self funded testing, rather than the tax based government incentivized renewables program.

Hydrogen has some issues though-

The key issues with hydrogen fuel is-
- low energy density- liquid hydrogen needs extremely cold temperatures, and high pressures- meaning thick and strong insulation- and even then has 1/4 the energy density of petrol. Could be mitigated through increased refueling cycles in some applications.
- low ignition temperature- but not as low as LPG from memory- which means that it is potentially difficult to burn safely.
- high flame temperature- 2000 degrees Celcius from memory- melts steel.
- Is lighter than air- could be dangerous in confined spaces without sufficient ventilation.
- Causes brittleness in metals from memory.
- Leaks through steel- causing high levels of leakage from storage vessels.

To be fair however hydrogen is one of the better ones in the renewables menu, in a sense.

Canem Malum,

On the contrary, hydrogen’s not one of the worst in the renewables menu. The only reason you lot are sympathetic to is because:

- it burns,
- it bangs,
- it leaks,
- it needs pipelines, pressure vessels, hard hats and hazard tape.

It just feels right, even if it’s wildly inefficient for most uses. Hydrogen is the one that still lets us blokes scratch our balls and grunt over combustion.

Meanwhile, quiet little solar panels just sit there saving you money and emissions… but that’s not nearly as sexy as taming fire with steel.

Let’s not confuse nostalgia and masculinity for a viable energy strategy.