3 ms·
The first argument (Long Time Lag Between Planning and Operation) is hard to argue against. To my surprise even in China it takes rather long. And in countries
by zeotroph 7y ago
The first argument (Long Time Lag Between Planning and Operation) is hard to argue against. To my surprise even in China it takes rather long. And in countries with a nuclear critical public is is a fantasy to think that going with "just the facts" for a year or two will sway enough opponents, and then go all-in with nuclear (as would be the case in an Ideal World).
The Cost argument [$151 (112 to 189)/MWh vs $43 (29 to 56)/MWh / $41 (36 to 46)/MWh for wind / solar PV] is also convincing, assuming the numbers are correct. If it is really a factor of > 2 then this would even be enough to bridge shortfalls of renewable energy due to lack of wind or sun, i.e. building rather inefficient (40%?) long term thermal or battery storage.
Weapons Proliferation Risk, Meltdown Risk, Mining Lung Cancer Risk, Waste Risk are tolerable when the alternative is a catastrophically warmer planet.
The "Carbon-Equivalent Emissions and Air Pollution" point counts the time it takes for a nuclear plant to come online?
So ideally going full nuclear would have started 10 years or so ago, but in the muddy real world this pure nuclear fantasy does not work. Time to bury it and stop wasting time and energy fighting for it, just get solar panels and build a wind farm already.
- polotics 7y agoHow much coal does get burnt to produce your happy panel? How much oil to transport it from China? How sustainable would solar and wind really be were it to be produced only with solar and wind energy, what would the end to end EROEI be? My guess: 0.8
- tjansen 7y agoHow can you get to 100% renewables using solar and wind? We don't have the capability to store enough energy to get through a few days without wind, especially during the winter months in northern countries where solar doesn't produce much energy. Nuclear energy may take longer and may be more expensive (not sure that's still the case when you build a few hundred plants), but it least it provides reliable energy all year.