Growing plants to burn is a renewable energy source (or can be). The plants grow, using energy from sunlight to convert CO2 from the atmosphere into burnable m

Growing plants to burn is a renewable energy source (or can be). The plants grow, using energy from sunlight to convert CO2 from the atmosphere into burnable material and oxygen. This burnable material, can later be burned to generate energy. Fossil fuels release CO2, the carbon for which which has been sequestered from a previous era. Since CO2 levels have been rising, it is clear that the ability of the plants to re-sequester the carbon from the released CO2 has been exceeded. When comparing the costs of nuclear versus other energy sources, it helps to consider the cost per kilowatt from each source and to include all of the impacts. For example, what is the cost of coal fired electricity generation? What is the cost, in human lives, of acid rain? of decreased fisheries, of pollution, of global warming, and so forth. I believe, when you consider all of the costs--economic and social--that nuclear power comes out pretty well compared to conventional fossil fuel generation. I also believe that many of the so-called sustainable renewable energy sources, when critically examined over their full lifetime, do not fare well against convention sources.