Swimmer963 comments on Research methods - Less Wrong

13 Post author: Swimmer963 22 February 2011 06:10AM

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Comment author: Swimmer963 22 February 2011 04:12:24PM 2 points [-]

You are an optimist about energy sources, then. What energy source do you think will replace fossil fuels? How long do you think the transition take? How easy will it be? I guess I'm fairly optimistic that SOMETHING will replace fossil fuels eventually, when the demand soars enough and scarcity sets in, but I don't know enough about alternative energy sources to say which ones will play a major role.

Comment author: ewbrownv 23 February 2011 05:11:11PM 0 points [-]

Calling it optimism is a bit strong. Much of the world is already transitioning to nuclear power for non-transportation uses, and there are no technical obstacles to converting virtually all power generation in the long run.

Comment author: Swimmer963 23 February 2011 11:46:21PM 0 points [-]

I did not know that. Can you cite this information? What percentage of the world's energy actually comes from nuclear?

Comment author: Nornagest 23 February 2011 11:50:40PM *  0 points [-]

I've been unable to find any clear description of long-term trends, but Wikipedia's article on the prospective nuclear renaissance seems to suggest that it exists mostly in rhetoric and long-range planning at the moment, and nuclear capacity seems to have failed to track recent increases in global power consumption (data only to 2006, though). More reactors are being built than are being closed, but not all that many more in comparison with existing capacity.