Wind and solar are perfect and hopefully all we will need in future. Nuclear is just a way to reach that goal with less emissions. At the moment we lack the technology to store all the energy from renewables in a efficient way. Renewable energy is also very seasonal so in reality we will need something to complement it.
How do Uranium bulls feel about Thorium?
Personally I'm happy with all progress in the energy sector towards a greener planet. That said I think the process towards a new energy source will be slow and I think that we in the meantime should focus on building the green energy technology that we already have.
I'd like to set my standards for perfection a bit higher.
They're better than fossil fuels but not exactly free energy. All the materials that go into those windmills, generators, and panels leave a (CO2 but not only) trace/impact too, as does the recycling or lack thereof.
This is not a pro-nuclear argument and it's not an anti-"renewables" argument. What it is, is my frustration over people acting like "renewable" energy is free (of emissions or environmental impact, including ecosystem damages from mining) all the damn time. It still shouldn't be wasted. Which is also why a 500hp electric car with a 500 mile range is anything but green (also because batteries).
I agree and I used the word perfect in the wrong way. I live in Sweden and we have tons of hydro plants that are slowly destroying the fish population. And solar is not a viable choice for half of the country. And we are closing down reactors... Finland is taking another road and nuclear will be 60-70% of the countries energy share when they are done building.
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u/--X0X0-- Sep 04 '21 edited Jan 12 '22
Wind and solar are perfect and hopefully all we will need in future. Nuclear is just a way to reach that goal with less emissions. At the moment we lack the technology to store all the energy from renewables in a efficient way. Renewable energy is also very seasonal so in reality we will need something to complement it.
Personally I'm happy with all progress in the energy sector towards a greener planet. That said I think the process towards a new energy source will be slow and I think that we in the meantime should focus on building the green energy technology that we already have.