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People keep dismissing renewables. Well, they won't get anywhere if we don't invest in them, and that investment has to come from a decrease in spending on othe

People keep dismissing renewables. Well, they won't get anywhere if we don't invest in them, and that investment has to come from a decrease in spending on other sources. Like nuclear.

lukeschlather 16y ago
It should come out of coal. If we were willing to nationalize all of our energy, start phasing out coal plants, and go fully nuclear to replace coal, over the next 50 years we could get substantial savings over coal and put those savings into renewables. And in any case, as this graph shows, renewables are not a panacea. Hydro dams cause significant environmental damage, and even wind turbines have their issues.
- afterburner 16y ago
  Sure, from anywhere it can. But a lot of people are talking about ramping up nuclear spending (and the costs are always understated).
  - lukeschlather 16y ago
    Yes. Ramp up nuclear, ramp down coal. Potentially it is a very green technology, and at worst it's an improvement over the fossil fuel status quo.
    - afterburner 16y ago
      I'd rather ramp up renewables, ramp down coal, and let nuclear dwindle on its own. Renewables aren't just "potentially" green, they are green, and without the extremely obvious risks that can contaminate a region for decades and increase the entire planet's risk of cancer. Renewables (and the advanced power grid that would support it) have huge room for improvement in generation, nuclear does not have huge room for improvement.
      - deleted 16y ago
        [deleted]
      - webXL 16y ago
        We do not have a nonfossil alternative that can make up the substantial power needs of the world other than nuclear power. --Glenn Sjoden In other words, unless we litter the plains with windmills (a form of contamination IMO), we cannot get off of coal and NG.
      - afterburner 16y ago
        Oh, look at me being downvoted because what I'm saying can't possibly be true...
maigret 16y ago
Right... Renewables + energy savings. It is not that hard to save 15% energy. And it is such a magic field for startups currently. I don't understand why the startup crowd here isn't already working on making nuclear energy unneeded.

People keep dismissing renewables. Well, they won't get anywhere if we don't invest in them, and that investment has to come from a decrease in spending on other sources. Like nuclear.

lukeschlather 16y ago

It should come out of coal. If we were willing to nationalize all of our energy, start phasing out coal plants, and go fully nuclear to replace coal, over the next 50 years we could get substantial savings over coal and put those savings into renewables. And in any case, as this graph shows, renewables are not a panacea. Hydro dams cause significant environmental damage, and even wind turbines have their issues.

afterburner 16y ago
Sure, from anywhere it can. But a lot of people are talking about ramping up nuclear spending (and the costs are always understated).
- lukeschlather 16y ago
  Yes. Ramp up nuclear, ramp down coal. Potentially it is a very green technology, and at worst it's an improvement over the fossil fuel status quo.
  - afterburner 16y ago
    I'd rather ramp up renewables, ramp down coal, and let nuclear dwindle on its own. Renewables aren't just "potentially" green, they are green, and without the extremely obvious risks that can contaminate a region for decades and increase the entire planet's risk of cancer. Renewables (and the advanced power grid that would support it) have huge room for improvement in generation, nuclear does not have huge room for improvement.
    - deleted 16y ago
      [deleted]
    - webXL 16y ago
      We do not have a nonfossil alternative that can make up the substantial power needs of the world other than nuclear power. --Glenn Sjoden In other words, unless we litter the plains with windmills (a form of contamination IMO), we cannot get off of coal and NG.
    - afterburner 16y ago
      Oh, look at me being downvoted because what I'm saying can't possibly be true...

maigret 16y ago

Right... Renewables + energy savings. It is not that hard to save 15% energy. And it is such a magic field for startups currently. I don't understand why the startup crowd here isn't already working on making nuclear energy unneeded.