Discussion question- do folkx here consider nuclear clean and/or green?
Discussion question- do folkx here consider nuclear clean and/or green?
As the title says, I'm interested in this community's perceptions on nuclear energy.
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I have an unpopular opinion.
TLDR: While current nucler has it's place, it most definitely is not the solution.
Please, do remember - we need solution for the whole planet, not only EU+US.
While nuclear (fision) can be relatively clean (molten salt thorium reactors), cutrent technology is not there yet, and other comments explain why: availability of uranium, processing of it, and storage of nuclear waste, which contrary to popular opinion is not yet solved. Just search around and those idea we were sold during 80s never materialized, we still don't know how to safely put nuclear waste into the ground.
Even if we do it right, it is extremely expensive and probably is generating more emissions we think.
Current technology was created for making nuclear weapons, promoting use of it is just promoting nuclear weapons.
Do you really want random countries around the world to have acces to processed uranuim?
Would you trust some random dictators that their plants will be safe?
That their nuclear waste will be safely stored?
Current nuclear is not the solution, Thorium and even better fusion is, so we need to push research, not uranium.
And we need to remember that there is no one solution to rule them all, hydro is working nicely for some countries, geothermal for others, wind for some locations, solar definitely has it's place. Nuclear too, at least to fill the gaps in others.
Other big part of solution, which every nuclear supporter is ignoring: we need to reduce energy consumption.
We need better insulation, more efficient cars, machines, computers. Less traveling, less commuting, more public transportation.
unfortunately we will run into Jevon's paradox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox
It isn't the making of more efficient things (which we should do)
It is the changing of human attitudes towards consumption that we need to solve.
Interesting read about Jevons paradox, thanks for the link.
I know that we don't want to reduce our comfort, but there are ways to keep it and reduce energy demand, or reduce comfort just a little but (ex. using small cars).
well if we encourage proper mass transit, then people wouldn't need to spend money on liabilities (cars) and we could have substantial improvements in reducing our total energy demand while providing greater mobility and transportation access to those most desperately in need.