[ExI] Are mini nuclear power stations the way forward?

[Eugen Leitl]

On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 11:05:23PM -0400, Mike Dougherty wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 6:02 PM, spike <spike66 at att.net> wrote:
> > Regardless of the outcome at this point, the Japan nukes have scared people;
> > scared people scare investors, and scared investors look elsewhere to
> > invest.  Nuclear power, including safer nuke technology, has been given a
> > death blow.
> 
> Everything happens in cycles.  So we spend a miserable 10-20 years
> winding up really big springs and other such silliness in fear of what

You know, I haven't seen any locals winding up their solar panels
so far. In fact, I'm hearing that maintenance is zero, and that
the real lifetime exceeds manufacturer's productions (in fact, 
older panels were better sealed and last longer).

> might go wrong with more complicated "high tech."  Then someone will
> remember that nuclear provided a considerable amount of inexpensive

It's not only inexpensive, it's powered by rainbows and unicorns,
while oozing attar of roses.

Today's residential turnkey PV installations (not panels, panels are 
at ~1 USD/Wp) are roughly at 3 USD/Wp and falling. I have a hunch
turnkey residential cost in 20 years will be <1 USD/Wp. I have
another hunch: natural gas and oil won't be cheaper than today.

Projections for renewable electricity in the EU are some 34%
for 2020, and up to 45% for 2030. The target for 2010 EU-25
was 21%. Go find actual numbers, they won't be too far from
the mark.

> power and the public will have collectively forgotten the danger.
> Given the choice of $8 per gallon dino juice (or chunks) because we're
> burning it for lights (and computers, etc.) vs letting 'someone'
> babysit a 'newer and much safer' reactor... I doubt many of us would

How are you babysitting your roof? I can tell that most people
put it up, and forget for the next 40-50 years about it but
for cleaning once a year.

> spend much time making that decision.

We've officially jumped the shark. From futurist to reactionary in
20 years. I'll go get me hansom cab, bbl.

-- 
Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a> http://leitl.org
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