James Lovelock: Why are we so afraid of nuclear power?

"Various agencies have tried to estimate how long these primary resources will last, assuming a once-through cycle. The European Commission said in 2001 that at the current level of uranium consumption, known uranium resources would last 42 years. When added to military and secondary sources, the resources could be stretched to 72 years. Yet this rate of usage assumes that nuclear power continues to provide only a fraction of the world's energy supply. If electric capacity were increased six-fold, then the 72-year supply would last just 12 years."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_uranium

Granted, these are estimates ... and I've seen them as high as 230 years.
 
Bigdog said:
If you are afraid of CO2, nuclear is the only viable option.

I'm NOT afraid of CO2. I believe it is good for the Earth and Life.
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CO2 is awesome, but like a lot of things, it's poison at certain levels.

Nuclear is not at ALL the only viable option - at least for the future.
 
Humans have only been in existence for as long as some of the nuclear waste takes to break down.

Think about that one. We don't have structures that we can come close to guaranteeing will last that long - even a mountain.
 
Bigdog said:
"Various agencies have tried to estimate how long these primary resources will last, assuming a once-through cycle. The European Commission said in 2001 that at the current level of uranium consumption, known uranium resources would last 42 years. When added to military and secondary sources, the resources could be stretched to 72 years. Yet this rate of usage assumes that nuclear power continues to provide only a fraction of the world's energy supply. If electric capacity were increased six-fold, then the 72-year supply would last just 12 years."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_uranium

Granted, these are estimates ... and I've seen them as high as 230 years.
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There is enough thorium to last for thousands of years.
 
Primavera said:
There is enough thorium to last for thousands of years.
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Nice! ... I've been waiting on that tech to become commercially viable since 1950 when it was first promised. I also remember the 1960's when the gov't promised nuclear power would only have to be gov't subsidized for a decade or so.

And as you know, there is technology that can extend the supply of Uranium if it is employed on larger scales.
 
Primavera said:
He just has no clue to how ignorant he is, anybody with any knowledge just laughs at fools like him. Sadly though he is no different to many others especially in the Left.
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Meanwhile, you haven't offered any refutation - and point to thoughts from other posters when asked for it.
 
BartenderElite said:
CO2 is awesome, but like a lot of things, it's poison at certain levels.

Nuclear is not at ALL the only viable option - at least for the future.
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Even OSHA says CO2 does not even start to become dangerous to humans until at least 5,000 ppm.

Nuclear is the only viable solution if you are terrified of CO2. Your windmills and solar panels fall way short of being a viable solution.
 
Bigdog said:
Even OSHA says CO2 does not even start to become dangerous to humans until at least 5,000 ppm.

Nuclear is the only viable solution if you are terrified of CO2. Your windmills and solar panels fall way short of being a viable solution.
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They're not viable TODAY.

If you want to talk nuclear, fusion could also be a viable option (but it's not today).

No one is talking about getting off CO2 tomorrow. But if we're smart, we can plan for a future fueled by renewables, without being generationally irresponsible (nukes), and we can start transitioning over the course of the next few decades.
 
BartenderElite said:
They're not viable TODAY.

If you want to talk nuclear, fusion could also be a viable option (but it's not today).

No one is talking about getting off CO2 tomorrow. But if we're smart, we can plan for a future fueled by renewables, without being generationally irresponsible (nukes), and we can start transitioning over the course of the next few decades.
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Windmills and solar panels will never provide the cheap RELIABLE energy needed for 8 billion people.

Fusion is a pipe dream. It will never be cheap and safe.
 
Bigdog said:
Windmills and solar panels will never provide the cheap RELIABLE energy needed for 8 billion people.

Fusion is a pipe dream. It will never be cheap and safe.
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Says who?

You know, people used to say that TV would never have mass appeal, either. And that computers would never have a personal or practical application.
 
Renewables are seen as a "lefty" thing - that's the only reason that conservatives are so vocally opposed to them, and always predict that they'll never be viable.

It's unfortunate. This should be a non-partisan issue.
 
BartenderElite said:
Says who?

You know, people used to say that TV would never have mass appeal, either. And that computers would never have a personal or practical application.
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It is my prediction of the future. You have yours, based on nothing.

Death cults like your Al Gorian religion have been wrong over and over, again and again.
 
BartenderElite said:
Renewables are seen as a "lefty" thing - that's the only reason that conservatives are so vocally opposed to them, and always predict that they'll never be viable.

It's unfortunate. This should be a non-partisan issue.
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Conservative Nixon was the best environmental president since TR.

Like all conservatives, I am an environmentalist. Al Gore is the worst thing that ever happened to the environment. All other environmental issues have suffered a media blackout because of you Leftists.
 
BartenderElite said:
Renewables are seen as a "lefty" thing - that's the only reason that conservatives are so vocally opposed to them, and always predict that they'll never be viable.

It's unfortunate. This should be a non-partisan issue.
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becasue lefties only promote things that don't work, so as to starve humanity from energy for population reduction purposes.
 
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