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

[Eugen Leitl]

On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 08:40:28PM -0700, spike wrote:

> Mike, we don't have 10-20 years.  The problem is that the Japanese quake has
> scared off nuclear power investors now.  We will be forced to lower
> consumption by market forces, and that includes lower consumption of food.

The average US citizen has a baseline metabolism of that of
a blue whale (11 kW -- whales can do 2.3 MW peak, though).
The EU is about half that, and Japan is more efficient still
at equal to higher quality of life.

I see no reason why you can't cut back to 3-4 kW eventually.

But food has no connection to electricity (which is a small
fraction of energy total, and of that the nuclear component
is smaller still). Food in the U.S. is 10:1 fossil calory 
input to food calorie output. Most of it is natural gas for
Haber-Bosch nitrogen fixation.

Electricity, particularly nuclear electricity, has zero 
impact of food production. I should say that again.

Electricity, particularly nuclear electricity, has zero
impact of food production. I should say that again.

Electricity, particularly nuclear electricity, has zero
impact of food production. I should say that again.

Electricity, particularly nuclear electricity, has zero
impact of food production. I should say that again.

Electricity, particularly nuclear electricity, has zero
impact of food production. I should say that again.

Electricity, particularly nuclear electricity, has zero
impact of food production. I should say that again.

Electricity, particularly nuclear electricity, has zero
impact of food production. I should say that again.

Electricity, particularly nuclear electricity, has zero
impact of food production. I should say that again.

Electricity, particularly nuclear electricity, has zero
impact of food production. I should say that again.

Electricity, particularly nuclear electricity, has zero
impact of food production. I should say that again.

Everybody got that? Probably not.

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