Nuclear fusion and anti-nuclear technology

[thewowsignal]

TL;DR

Is there any alternative to nuclear energy? Long term, nuclear energy creates more problems than solutions. For many decades mankind has been trying to develop more efficient way of producing energy and tackle nuclear waste. Many scientific teams around the world hope to make some progress in this area. Is there any chance for nuclear fussion technology to power our homes and businesses in the near future? Is there any chance for nuclear power plants to become obsolete?

I want to start a serious discussion here about our future on this small planet. This thread is especially dedicated to those of you, who are enthusiastic about atomic energy and energy crisis.

 

[Motore]

Long term, nuclear energy creates more problems than solutions.

Does it?

 

[mfb]

Is there any alternative to nuclear energy?

A lot of renewables or renewables plus a lot of energy storage should work in most places. The transition won't be cheap, however.

Long term, nuclear energy creates more problems than solutions.

It doesn't.

Fusion (which is nuclear power, too) could get a significant share towards the end of the century, but it won't be the replacement for fossil fuels in most places. It could replace fission nuclear power plants and/or renewables.

 

[thewowsignal]

For many decades many people talk about renewable energy. Not much was done to this very day, I have not doubt that many of those educated and talking heads in fact want the opposite. There was a very good time about thirty years ago to boost renewable energy revolution, but it all failed, for some reason. I know there are a few small countries, which are based on renewables, like wind turbines, solar panels, etc. But I think it is rather a joke and a cover rather than a real long-term solution. The way people live their lives makes their countries not renewable in terms of energy consumption.

Nuclear power plants are no long-term solution, in my opinion. I am neither a scientist nor an expert, but I realize that nuclear waste has always been a huge problem. The technology used for decades is by definition not renewable. Nuclear energy must become obsolete one day for "homo sapiens" to survive on such a small planet in enormously big Universe.

In my opinion a couple of fusion reactors are already under construction and will be operational soon, to tackle constantly growing global energy crisis.

 

[Frabjous]

There are no fusion power plants currently under construction. It is still a research topic.

Without better batteries and transmission than we have now, most grids require some “fueled” power generation to meet surge/peak/nighttime demand.

 

[malawi_glenn]

In my opinion a couple of fusion reactors are already under construction and will be operational soon

How can this be an opinion?

 

[Vanadium 50]

First, we already have a thread on this. It's named, The Nuclear Power Thread. Don't know how much easier to find one could make it.

Second, we have "serious discussion" and "I am no[t] an expert". How is this going to work exactly? We allow one non-expert only, and that non-expert can spout off ill-informed opinions, but everybody else needs to be serious?

Finally we have "opinions" which are empirically verifiable. As they say "everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."

 

[berkeman]

Thread closed for Moderation...

 

[berkeman]

TL;DR Summary: Is there any alternative to nuclear energy? Long term, nuclear energy creates more problems than solutions. For many decades mankind has been trying to develop more efficient way of producing energy and tackle nuclear waste. Many scientific teams around the world hope to make some progress in this area. Is there any chance for nuclear fussion technology to power our homes and businesses in the near future? Is there any chance for nuclear power plants to become obsolete?

I want to start a serious discussion here about our future on this small planet. This thread is especially dedicated to those of you, who are enthusiastic about atomic energy and energy crisis.

After a Mentor discussion, this thread will remain closed.

@thewowsignal -- please keep in mind that thread starts in the technical PF forums need to be based on the mainstream literature, not opinions, and you should always include links to reputable sources when starting threads in the technical forums. Also realize that there is the existing Nuclear Power thread that was pointed out to you already. General comments about Nuclear Power may best fit in that thread, but to the extent that you want to discuss a different or more specific aspect of Nuclear Power, you can start a new thread in the Nuclear Engineering forum as long as you include reputable references that you have been reading, and ask specific questions about those references. Thanks.

And thank you to the other posters in this thread who tried to help the OP.