----- Original Message -----
From: "David Roberts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Newsgroups: gmane.science.general.global-change
To: "globalchange" <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 6:31 PM
Subject: [Global Change: 1608] Re: The Oildrum and Hansen on the IPCC
emissions scenarios
>
> Oh, also: it's a pernicious myth that nuclear power is the only non-
> carbon alternative to coal. If you just want to swap out one set of
> massive centralized power plants for another, then yes. But why would
> you want to do that?
The reasons that people would want to build big new nuclear plants are the
same reasons that they are now building big new coal plants (at a rate of
about 100 per year).
> A far cheaper, more intelligent, and more
> sustainable alternative is to take a buckshot approach of:
>
> 1. Radically boosting energy efficiency.
> 2. Accelerating the deployment of distributed, small-scale renewable
> generation.
> 3. Research and deploy advanced energy storage technology like reverse-
> flow batteries, fuel cells, etc.
> 4. Upgrade and "smarten" the electrical grid.
> 5. And finally -- gasp -- *conserve*. Yes, that means consuming less.
>From the IPCC emission scenarios (SRES/TAR) I conclude that two to four
thousand new nuclear plants by 2100 would be required for CO2 stabilization.
If the alternatives you suggest can cut that number in half at equal or
lesser cost, so much the better. I would be surprised (and delighted) if it
were so. A carbon tax to fund non-carbon deployment is a good first step in
either case.
-dl
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