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There are two common environmentalist arguments: 1. Climate change is an existential threat to humanity, and we must make radical changes to our lifestyles and
by orangecat 7y ago
There are two common environmentalist arguments:
1. Climate change is an existential threat to humanity, and we must make radical changes to our lifestyles and economies immediately.
2. Wind and solar are now so cheap that there's no need for nuclear.
How can both of those be true? If wind and solar are really that cheap, great! Build enough of them to replace all existing fossil fuels and nuclear plants, and we're done. The fact that this has not happened even in enlightened countries makes me question that claim.
- vajrabum 7y agoHow long has solar been that competitive? Less than a decade. How much power infrastructure is there in the world--a huge amount. How long will it take to retire and replace all that infrastructure? Decades at best.
- ghostly_s 7y agoNeither technology is so cheap as to make it economical to replace our entire energy system through market forces. That's why the climate crisis is not magically solving itself. That does not contradict the argument that nuclear, for cost reasons, is poorly-positioned to be the main player in a subsidized transition to a post-carbon economy.