Or, better yet, figure out another way of doing it. It isn't about quitting life, it's about scientific inquiry into doing things a better way. All the things you mention, ptw, came about the very same way.

It's a common argument, though, insisting we can't really do anything because oil is too pervasive. That's nonsense. We replace it here, and here, and here, as we learn, until another generation of substances arrives and completes the transition. It's like saying, "Forget about ending obesity - it's just too common. Let's go stuff ourselves." Important things happen in small steps.

I find "cheap vs. obsolete" an excellent description