Ralston, M., Wasserman, H., Wasserman, H., Wasserman, H., Trump, LaDuke, W., … Progressive Radio Network. (2020, March 1). California’s Primary Season Comes Amid a Dramatic Battle Over Nuclear Energy. Retrieved from https://truthout.org/articles/californias-primary-season-comes-amid-a-dramatic-battle-over-nuclear-energy/
Super Tuesday will impact the Green New Deal and California’s Diablo Canyon nuclear plant. The Diablo Canyon reactors have become a symbol of everything the global No Nukes movement opposes, provoking more civil disobedience arrests (over 10,000) than any other U.S. reactor site. The reactors sit in the heart of the green tech development area. Renewables have generated 3/4ths the power both reactors have together. PG&E own the reactor, but they are receiving push back on this because of the issues they have created in the past (shoddy wires causing fires or unattended pipes exploding under peoples’ homes). PG&E is still in hot water and dozens are suing for millions which ultimately drove PG&E to file bankruptcy. Almost ALL of the reactors in the U.S. are over 30 years old! All of them release radiation, heat, and some carbon. In California, renewables are the name of the game.
California has set its goal of using carbon free energy in the future but nuclear ain’t a part of that dream. Billions of dollars come from the support of private investors and none of them want nuclear energy. It’s looking like PG&E might be making some changes but it’s doubtful that they will completely disappear from our lives. They are just another power company that handles powerful stuff and we have to assume that they don’t have our best interest in mind (at least that’s what they have shown us so far). It’s going to be a long process developing and implementing new renewables, so I am open to using the nuclear plant we have now; and if the tech gets more developed or receives more funding, then I would want to see nuclear be taken to its full potential.
I understand the issue with PG&E being the ones in charge, but I disagree with nuclear being off the table. Seeing as we have learned a lot more about nuclear recently, do you still believe that renewables alone can solve our energy problems?
I don’t think the solution will just be one answer. Renewables will hopefully play a growing part in the future of energy along with nuclear, but I don’t think fossil fuels will ever fully be gotten rid of.
Like Mr. Powell says, “there isn’t a silver bullet, more like silver birdshot”. Building infrastructure that can easily have an energy source changed out is the key. We can generate a fair amount with renewables, but they alone will not solve our energy crisis. Throw some nuclear power in and I bet it could put up a good chance.
After learning more about nuclear energy recently, I really think that it does hold a large part in the future of energy production, among renewables which everyone seems too be going crazy about. The problem is simply that renewable don’t provide the same amount of energy output as fossil fuels do at the moment. What do you think can be done to give citizens and private interests more insight on the potential of nuclear energy?
During the age of information it shouldn’t be too hard to educate the public on the potential of nuclear and how SAFE it is. Still, it is easier said than done; it is also easier for people to continue using their fossil fuels machines and now switch over to electric. If influencers and investors backed up nuclear, so will the people!