Compared to the theoretical minimum of 6.3 MWh/t,

combustion of fuel oil or natural gas, coal-fired plants have to consume a higher portion of the generated electricity on air pollution control (capturing fly-ash, desulfurization, reducing NOx emissions) and solid waste disposal

The global market for liquid oxygen reached about 75 Gm3 in the year 2000 and it was more than 150 Gm3 in 2010

In any case, this means that the annual use of materials by these tiny heterotrophs would be of the same order of magnitude as our civilization's global extraction of metallic ores and other nonfuel minerals at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

a single PVC bottle in a load of 10 000 PET bottles can ruin the entire melt

the average US conversion rate was 14.8 MJ/kW h in 1950, about 11 MJ/kW h in 1975, 10.8 MJ/kW h in the year 2000, and 10.3 MJ/kW h in 2010

Modern commercial flight depends on the reinforced concrete that forms the runways, approaches, and aprons of airports: they must withstand the repeated traffic of airplanes with a mass commonly between 150 t (Boeing 737) and 277 t (Airbus 380); runway concrete is up to 1.5 m thick and the longest runways are 3600–4000 m long.

PVC production and incineration emit dioxins, and phthalates, plasticizers used to soften normally rigid PVC,

Sheathing paper has been replaced by Tyvek, but tar paper is needed for the waterproofing of roofs as underlay for asphalt or wood shingles.