Yesterday, I was in a #TwitterBeef with this person over #WindEnergy & it being cleaner than producing & burning gasoline. I said that "Windmills don't require #carbon to run." Each post was more frustrating than the last with this guy. So much so, I missed the obvious counter. 
His claim was that because windmills require oils for cooling and lubrication, carbon is required for them to run. "To run." To produce energy. I should have shot back with this analogy.
Engines need coolant & oil, but don't require either to run. They require a fuel to produce the energy to force the piston down & create torque. Windmills produce produce energy BY HAVING WIND TURN THEIR BLADES WHICH TURN GENERATORS.
You don't use your coolant & lubricant to power the engine. You use fuels like gasoline, ethanol, & diesel. Yeah, a diesel will use anything that burns, but using its lubricant isn't how it's supposed to. It burns fuel to create the expansion of gasses that force the piston down.
Also, an engine will run without lubricant & cooling, it just won't do it for very long. Ask any tech if an engine ran after forgetting to put the oil back in the car. Pro Tip: it will & will drive just far enough to make towing very expensive on top of the new engine.
Again, a windmill gets its rotational force from wind hitting its blades. It is not burning its cooling or lubricating oil to turn the generator, IT USES THE WIND. There are small windmill generators that don't require cooling or lubricant for homes. Ask those living off-grid.
In short, it's easy to get heated with someone who's just smart enough to be dangerous, but dumb enough to not know it. The key is to recognize it, back off, cool down, & then hit with facts before muting them permanently. Yes, I muted that fool & should have done so earlier.
There are some people who are worth arguing with if they are sincere in their knowledge. That guy I got heated with wasn't & I should have seen it sooner.
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