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While nuclear power can give us the most bang for the buck, it's main flaw has to do with the degree of centralization it requires. It takes the infrastructure
by hosh 4y ago
While nuclear power can give us the most bang for the buck, it's main flaw has to do with the degree of centralization it requires. It takes the infrastructure of an advanced civilization to not only design, build, and maintain the facilities and equipment, it also requires the educational infrastructure to produce the personnel needed to operate them safely. This means that it requires a degree of centralization, and the centralization of political and economic power to go with it. Futhermore, it also requires the grid needed to transmit the power have to take in demand surges into account.
Perhaps the miniaturization efforts for nuclear power would mean a neighorhood, or even a site-level nuclear power. At this point, though, solar allows community-scale or site-scale deployments (but not necessarily community-scale manufacturing). Micro-grids, sized to the local demand surge can be deployed.
- zellyn 4y agoIsn't this a case where efficiency through centralization is a huge win for the environment?
- hosh 4y agoCentralization is not necessarily a win. There are other concerns besides efficiency -- such as resiliency. The efficiency gains we had with JIT global supply chain failing during the pandemic lockdowns is a great example. There are worst problems than just resiliency. As an example, overharvesting happens when the people consuming a resource is disconnected from those who harvest it. Traditionally, local harvesters were also the consumers, and there is immediate feedback on the limits of a harvest. It's made worse when we have been under a couple centuries of a civilization founded on the presumption that we have continuous, and unbounded growth.