A new generation of environmentalists is learning to love atomic power

Post by saagarjha » Sat, Dec 29, 2018, 12:53 AM UTC

nickik wrote: post #8

treya wrote: post #5

This is a ridiculous and fundamentally flawed proposition. The obvious omissions and lack of consideration of other factors threatening the planet belies this author's bias/naivete/stupidity/other motivations. First, the demand for energy is only a small fraction of numerous ways the planet is being compromised - irrevocably. Satisfying all energy demands worldwide cleanly will not "save the planet". Second, carbon-f…

> The byproducts (generally leaking radioactive waste) The idea that nuclear waste 'leaks' anything is absurd and defiantly not generally true. While of course the output is toxic, its also highly controlled and does not come into contact with anything. Its long lasting but it also contains lots of useful stuff that, if we continue to use nuclear power and other nuclear byproducts will turn very valuable. > Third, th…

Post by joe_the_user » Sat, Dec 29, 2018, 1:09 AM UTC

beaconstudios wrote: post #30

toomuchtodo wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Batteries can be recycled, nuclear waste is stockpiled with no permanent disposal or recycling plan in sight. Solar and wind, unsubsidized, with storage, are already cheaper than nuclear. Those costs will continue to plummet, especially as EV battery demand ramps (rapidly expanding battery manufacturing capacity). Nuclear lost because it’s too expensive, and has its own externalities to ignore (decommissioning, waste…

this might sound silly (and it probably is), but I don't understand why we don't build a hulking great cannon and shoot our nuclear waste into space.

Post by eukgoekoko » Sat, Dec 29, 2018, 1:15 AM UTC

fogetti wrote: post #29

misiti3780 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure why you are getting downvoted --- solar and wind account for 1.5% of total, taken from Enlightenment Now by Steve Pinker: > A second key to deep decarbonization brings up an inconvenient truth for the traditional Green movement: nuclear power is the world’s most abundant and scalable carbon-free energy source. Although renewable energy sources, particularly solar and wind, have become drastically cheaper, an…

Net wind energy percentage in Germany in 2017 was 18.9%. And that's a fact. Which clearly voids your argument. Yes, there are limitations how high it can go and I don't expect it to be anywhere near 100%. But it's clearly a huge source of energy already and it will increase even more in the coming years. The reason why it totals 1.5% is because it costs money to replace existing power sources and the lobby power of t…

Post by mikestew » Sat, Dec 29, 2018, 1:20 AM UTC

v_lisivka wrote: post #27

mikestew wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nuclear power creates the most dangerous waste known to mankind From what I've been reading, seems CO2 tops that list. One can bury nuclear waste in the Nevada desert, keep everyone a few hundred miles away, and it'll be fine. From what I learned in high school chemistry class, a gas wants to expand to fill its container, so the CO2 produced by Chinese coal-fired plants eventually makes its way to me. The process of…

We can build one CO2 capture factory in Nevada desert to capture excessive CO2 and bury it there. I see no difference.

Post by crdoconnor » Sat, Dec 29, 2018, 1:22 AM UTC

eukgoekoko wrote: post #45

fogetti wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Net wind energy percentage in Germany in 2017 was 18.9%. And that's a fact. Which clearly voids your argument. Yes, there are limitations how high it can go and I don't expect it to be anywhere near 100%. But it's clearly a huge source of energy already and it will increase even more in the coming years. The reason why it totals 1.5% is because it costs money to replace existing power sources and the lobby power of t…

I wouldn't call Germany's Energiewende a success story since Germany has the highest electricity prices in EU: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php... You may call it "the lobby power" but there seems to be no choice for the heavy industry than to use coal, thanks to nuclear phase-out.