Nuclear Energy Can Save US: This Century Malthus Could Be Right (Part Two)

Nuclear Energy Can Save US--America�s 100 nukes equal four million barrels of oil per day.

Billions of lives and civilization itself may be at risk from the Global Warming & End of Cheap Oil, Crisis. Rising sea levels and rising oil prices could be the end of civilization as we know it. The problem is so huge that the most powerful answer, many nuclear plants, must be deployed. Currently, America‘s 100 nukes deliver the energy of four million barrels of oil per day. Wind and solar cannot do the job, and may delay the real answer too long. Still, all kinds of clean energy, plus conservation, plus reducing deforestation, will be needed to help the poor half of the world, and for civilization to survive through this century.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

This Century Malthus Could Be Right (Part Two)

More worries triggered by the report "Eating Fossil Fuels" (See Part One of this series of posts). The report showed me that huge quantities of energy must be developed for food, and by extension for water. It seems more necessary than ever that conservation, efficiency, and alternative fuels must somehow increase exponentially, year by year. The Economist, London (10/16/07), cited altenative energy spending (worldwide, and including wind energy, most likely) as $63B this year, up from $49B last year, and $30B the year before; doubling in two years. To some people this probably sounds great, and they will say, "See, we will be alright". To me, they just do not see the size of the problem. It will only be great, if by mid-century, yearly expenditures double, and double, and double again, then triple from that point. Also, it will only be great, if nuclear energy keeps pace with this to double the overall clean energy, and provide the massive, concentrated base of energy to make it all work. I can't compute precisely, but I believe that 1000 nuclear electric plants added to all of the other programs, will be a good START toward solution of the energy crises that humanity faces.

Late Thought: I don't know if The Economist includes nuclear in alternative energies. If so, my guess of 2 x 2 x 2 x 3, which equals 24 will have to be doubled again. Yearly clean energy spending in 2050, would have to be 48 x $63B, or more than than $3T (in 2007 $).