Global warming and alternative energy

It boggles the mind that some “experts” are still touting nuclear energy. When climate scientists take a “tough-minded” look at pollution statistics, a few still come to the conclusion that the only technology now available to replace fossil fuels is nuclear power. Eduardo Porter of the New York Times made that argument last week when he wrote:
“...nuclear power remains the cheapest and most readily scalable of the alternative energy sources.”
 Such a bone-headed statement cannot go unchallenged. Has Mr. Porter heard of Chernobyl or Fukushima? Is he aware of the environmental mess those two have created? To be specific, the nuclear power facility at Fukushima is spewing thousands of gallons of radioactive wastewater into the Pacific EVERY DAY. The plant was destroyed by an earthquake and subsequent tsunami on March 11, 2011, and continues to be an environmental disaster of massive proportions.

Many reasons to ignore nuclear energy

There are many reasons that nuclear power is a bad solution to the climate crisis. Nuclear power plants are capital-intensive, technologically extremely hard to manage, and difficult, if not impossible, to site. Building nuclear power plants are prohibitively expensive and decommissioning a nuclear power plant is EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE and that cost is nowhere to be found when determining nuclear’s cost-effectiveness. Then, when the plant is shut down permanently, it remains a toxic waste site for thousands of years. This means that even though we know how to generate electricity with nuclear power, in the U.S. these plants will never be built in enough quantity to reduce global warming. Forward-thinking scientists are realizing that renewable energy is the only solution to our climate problems. There are other issues associated with current nuclear technologies that render them problematic as well. The toxicity of nuclear fuel and waste, should not be ignored. Catastrophic accidents may be rare, but when they occur, their impact is intense and long-lasting. Nuclear plants are already a target of terrorist groups and the faster we back away from this dangerous technology, the safer we will become. 

Is there any other legitimate solution other than solar?

Renewable power is changing the energy business. Although the conventional wisdom tells us that solar power, battery technology, and smart grids are far in the future, we are only a breakthrough or two away from a new age of decentralized energy technology. While none of us can predict the future, and technological breakthroughs cannot be assumed, the risk of nuclear power is not difficult to predict.

Solar technological advances are making solar a viable and immediate option!

Solar power is here to stay, and the sooner you explore how much you can save, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of residential solar power. Go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. It tells you how much solar power you need, and how much you can save.

Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.