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Climate Gamble: Is Anti-Nuclear Activism Endangering our Future?
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Category Archives: Energy
Stall warning for renewable energy?
A model that estimated the plateauing of nuclear and hydropower to within 20 percent of reality suggests that absent a technological breakthrough, the growth of new renewable energy – that is, wind and solar – will saturate and end when these new … Continue reading
Posted in Energy, History of technology
Tagged climate change, climate policy, Energy transitions, Renewables, S-curve
1 Comment
100% renewables and 100% nuclear are both practically impossible
I’ve been following with interest how some nuclear power advocates are suggesting that building anything else than nuclear power is sidetracking us from the climate goals. These advocates claim that variable, non-dispatchable renewables will not be ultimately capable of delivering … Continue reading
The bubble of traditional environmentalism has burst; long live pragmatic environmentalism
In case any more confirmation was needed, 11/9 (or 9.11. for us Euros) was the final nail to the coffin of traditional environmentalism – at least when it comes to stopping the existential threat of climate change. For years now, established … Continue reading
Posted in Ecomodernism, Economy and the Environment, Energy
Tagged Ecomodernism, Environment, Nuclear, Politics, Pragmatism, Renewables
6 Comments
Why we don’t have the luxury of saying no to low-carbon energy, in one chart
I’ve long maintained that the climate crisis is so acute that humanity simply does not have the luxury of picking and choosing which low-carbon energy sources we’d use. That option was foreclosed perhaps two decades ago, but the idea that … Continue reading
A Response to Lawrence, Sovacool, and Stirling. (Reblogged)
In the following post, Nicholas Thompson performs a very good examination of the much-publicized study that sought to “prove” commitment to nuclear power slows down CO2 emission reductions. Well, turns out the paper suffers from a basic math error – … Continue reading
Posted in Energy, Nuclear energy & weapons
Tagged CO2 emissions, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Nuclear, Rebuttals, Research
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Energy transitions: is everything different this time?
The debate about whether transition to low-carbon energy would be faster or slower than previous energy transitions somewhat misses the point. The real problem is whether this time everything is different and whether the low-carbon energy revolution will be complete … Continue reading
Posted in Ecomodernism, Energy, History of technology
Tagged Energy, Energy transitions, History of technology, Nuclear, Renewables
20 Comments
The Elon Musk approach to nuclear power costs
Recently, I read an interesting piece about the reasoning process used by the man behind Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk: first principles reasoning. In this mode of thinking, espoused by Aristotle among others, one begins from the “first principles” or … Continue reading
Songs from the Hungerland: reflections on Ecomodernism, history, and Nature
Songs from the Hungerland in response to 21.10.15 The Guardian opinion piece: The Brave New World of Ecomodernism During spring and summer 2014, I spent many nights under the Finnish sky. Early the next morning where the picture above was taken, I … Continue reading
Posted in Ecomodernism, Economy and the Environment, Energy, History of technology
Tagged Ecomodernism, Energy, Environment, Essays, Finland
2 Comments
Why I am an Ecomodernist
“Ecomodernism is an environmental movement that seeks to defend and enhance the environment’s well-being while simultaneously increasing possibilities for human prosperity. For ecomodernists, both the vitality and diversity of natural world and the existence and progress of humanity are fundamental … Continue reading
Graphic of the Week: How fast has low-carbon energy been built?
This data, and other evidence, make it puzzling how one of the most common refrains against using nuclear power to combat climate change is still that it is too slow. Surely, those people cannot be saying that renewables are by implication far too slow? Continue reading
Posted in Economy and the Environment, Energy, Infographics, Nuclear energy & weapons, What they aren't telling you about nuclear power
Tagged Belgium, Denmark, Energy, Finland, France, Germany, Graphic of the week, Infographics, Italy, Nuclear, Olkiluoto 3, Renewables, Solar, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, What they aren't telling you about nuclear, Wind
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