How do ya'll feel about nuclear power? - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

my first gmc · 03-23-2009, 08:02 PM

Just a curious question to stir the pot. To me it seems like the obvious answer to our "energy crisis". The basis technology is decades old and have been refined to amazing efficiency. My dad lives near the River Bend Power Station in St. Francisville, LA. The plant is in the middle of the woods, you'd never know anything was there if the access road wasn't there. To me it seems like the best "low carbon" choice for energy generation.

trikkonceptz · 03-23-2009, 08:04 PM

I say put it in our cars and all our problems will go away ... but that kind of technology is controled by the government pretty much and well, need I say more ?

my first gmc · 03-23-2009, 08:12 PM

Nuclear powered cars is a little extreme, but how about cars that are charged with energy from nuclear power. Nuclear powered mass-produced products and nuclear power plants that can be effectively watched over by the government are two different things.

Bicycle Bob · 03-23-2009, 08:36 PM

Nuclear is an industry that can't live without subsidies, can't buy insurance, and will cost our descendants more or less forever. Starting today, you need almost a decade to build a nuke, and another decade of running it to pay back the oil used in construction. Then, it might start to show some temporary benefit, if your luck is good. For a much smaller initial investment, you can have all the renewable power you want in two decades.

To keep power in the hands of big companies, without environmental damage, there is one great new opportunity. Undersea volcanoes, AKA black smokers or hydrothermal vents typically put out six times as much energy as the biggest nuke in an area that could feed just one pipe to bring it to the surface as superheated water for driving turbines, the same as a nuke. Many vents are within range for an undersea power cable at a reasonable price, and there are not the usual problems over intermittent supply from natural sources.

Christ · 03-23-2009, 09:03 PM

Near Lancaster, PA, there is a Nuclear power plant... it's called TMI - Three Mile Island. Some of you may have heard of a Three Mile Island partial meltdown...

Anyway, I completely agree with Mr. Bob on this one... use what's already naturally available, and not the stuff that's naturally available that can't be replaced as quickly as it's used.

It's standard economics, honestly... what happens when you run out of milk in the fridge? You go buy more, right? What if you couldn't just buy more? You'd have to have the cow... then you can only use as much milk as the cow would make...

Well, Earth is the cow... stop drinking so much damn milk.