[OldManAndTheCpp]

> Dismayed by the lack of an environmental plan, I created a plan that would bring SpaceX to full carbon neutrality by 2030. It contained a framework for a diverse and functional society that would learn from our colonial past and incorporate indigenous expertise. I brought this plan directly to Elon Musk, who dismissed it with an email that said: “We have wind and solar energy.”

Is it possible to make a rocket carbon neutral? I guess if you use hydrogen instead of RP1/methane? Follow up, how does a carbon neutrality plan fit together with a framework for a diverse and functional society that would learn from our colonial past and incorporate indigenous expertise?

> But the new buildings on the campus run on gas generators, and company funding is not being dedicated to reducing carbon emissions. While there are solar panels on campus, any attempts to make new buildings and infrastructure sustainable (LEED) are deprioritized in favor of expanding the factory as fast as possible.

Hard to tell what the real story is here -- you probably want high reliability power sources next to your rocket construction building. Attempting to shift some load over to solar panels, but assuring that you have the ability to go all gas power seems like a reasonable choice.

[jcims]

One of the reasons SpaceX decided to use methane to fuel their next rocket is that it can be synthesized on Mars from the ambient CO2.

[ortusdux]

It sounds like they are going to develop and use that capability here on earth and then export it to Mars.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1470519292651352070

[evandwight]

You can produce methane from water and carbon dioxide. Burning it is the reverse.

Burning synthetic methane is carbon neutral.

[OldManAndTheCpp]

That's cool, guess the full cycle carbon footprint is dependent on what you use to power the water + co2 -> methane process.

[evandwight]

If they use natural gas (methane) to make electricity to make synthetic methane, I will cry

[Isinlor]

They need to be able to do it on Mars, so the only options are solar or nuclear power.

[sudosysgen]

I'm sure that was included in the plan. It's a perfect application for solar power.