The Dukovany Nuclear Power Station in the Czech Republic.
Credit: Wikimedia
We take energy for granted. Do you think about where the energy comes from when you flick on the lights or TV, crank up the air conditioner or turn on the cooking hotplates?
More pervasively, a vast amount of energy goes into delivering your food, clothing and manufactured goods. Energy also allows you to travel rapidly from place to place, by car, rail or plane.
It is no exaggeration to say that cheap and readily available energy constitutes the most fundamental basis of our economy. Yet, in many respects, we are living in a transitory dream world.
The way we are generating our energy is unsustainable - both environmentally and economically. Fossil fuels - coal, oil and natural gas - provide the concentrated sources of energy we require to build our great industrial and information enterprises.
This was a Faustian bargain, and now the devil is due. With the looming threats of dangerous climate change, oil shortages and demand exceeding supply, an energy revolution must begin. By the year 2030, it will need to be in full swing, or there'll be serious consequences.
The next 20 years will be a defining moment in world history. I don't say this flippantly. Global society must make the choice to set itself on the path to a secure and non-polluting energy future, or it will stumble and regress.
Either way, by 2030, we'll very likely know whether we've collectively been able to chart the right course. Now is certainly the time to make the difference.
Worldwide, a variety of important energy choices will be made during this next decade. In Asia, especially the rapidly industrialising mega-economies of China and India, a huge amount of coal-based electricity infrastructure is being built.
This must be phased out. Aside from global warming, it causes chronic regional air and water pollution that consigns millions to an early death each year.
Developing countries can see that an ongoing dependence on coal, gas and oil is not in their long-term interest, and are vigorously pursuing alternative options such as nuclear and hydro power. Thanks to clean energy credits from the developed world, they are also investing in solar panels and building wind farms. In the medium- to long-term, it is difficult to know which technologies will come to dominate in these new economies, but cost and scalability will be amongst the most important determinants.
nuclear energy
We are living in ideal country with most sunshine avalible. For as long as sun will rise in the morning to start a new day, there will be enough energy to power everything from house hold requirements to light industrial needs.
If every home in Australia installs and it does not need government's subsidies (every cityzen should be responsible to provide power for himself) 3.5 KWA generating electricity daylie, should be enought of power any houshold! We dont need expancive to build, hard to maintain nuclear power stations. After all, uranium is also finite and not renewable.
When we run out of uranium, what then?? For as long that we are having this fruitless arguments, nothing will happen and it is to late anyhow.
With Copenhagen (disagrement) it just shows that there is not enough political will, neither people, scientist are not prepare to work together to solve this autmost urgent issue. Cheers James>>>>>>>>>>
:)
This is beautiful