Nuclear Power Needs to Be a Significant Part of our Energy Production

National Geographic's article is titled "The controversial future of nuclear power in the U.S. As the climate crisis worsens, the discussion intensifies over what role nuclear power should play in fighting it." Here's an excerpt:

The status of existing [nuclear] plants has big implications: Including Indian Point, seven gigawatts of nuclear power are in danger of going offline before 2026 due to depressed electricity prices.

“Taking out nuclear power plants completely destroys gains with renewables,” Buongiorno says. When the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, which produced about 8 percent of California’s electricity, closed in 2013, the local cost of electricity increased, and carbon dioxide emissions in California increased by 9.2 million tons the following year.

The MIT report found that in the next decade, the most cost-efficient, reliable grid comes from an energy mix. “Our analysis shows a big share of nuclear, a big share of renewables, and some storage is the best mix that is low-carbon, reliable, and at the lowest cost,” Buongiorno says."

For a related recent post discussing the views of Mike Shellenberger, see here.

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Bill Moyers: The EPA is about to be destroyed.

Donald Trump has nominated Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, who has made a career of attacking the EPA on behalf of his fossil fuel contributors, to be head of the EPA. Based on his past conduct, including his denial of climate change, Pruitt's mission will be to destroy the EPA, thereby putting the American public at great risk of living in a toxic cesspool, the conditions leading Richard Nixon to create the EPA in the '70's.

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Alberta Tar Sands Disaster

Stunning, shocking video. We've GOT to get off of carbon fuel. Albert tar sands area is already bigger than England. "The mass extraction of fossil fuels from our earth does untold amounts of damage. Yet, many still deny that the damage being done by the oil industry is anything to be concerned about. If you ever doubted the amount of damage being done by the oil industry, just watch this video."

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Is NASA’s launch site at risk to go underwater? Science Denying Senator Ted Cruz doesn’t want to know.

This is what you get when you empower climate change deniers. Ted Cruz wants NASA to quit gathering data regarding threats to the Earth's climate. Here's how NASA Administrator Bolden responded to Cruz:

We can’t go anywhere if the Kennedy Space Center goes underwater and we don’t know it – and that’s understanding our environment. As Senator Nelson said, it is absolutely critical that we understand Earth’s environment because this is the only place that we have to live.

Continue ReadingIs NASA’s launch site at risk to go underwater? Science Denying Senator Ted Cruz doesn’t want to know.