Brian Kent
Aug 23, 2017 · 3 min read

Suzanne,

I applaud you for working to combat climate change, though I think your heightened awareness of the advantages of nuclear-powered electricity generation versus fossil-fuel powered generation must necessarily have led to a correspondingly narrower awareness of the cost/benefit analysis of renewable sources for electricity. I may be wrong about this; I would be happy to be corrected.

I agree that currently existing nuclear plants must not be decommissioned until they can be replaced with purely renewable electricity generation. However, my understanding is that new nuclear facilities cannot be built at cost parity with renewables. This to me would render your argument effectively moot; there is certainly no point in further pursuing nuclear energy when we already know long term solar-sourced electricity generation can be had for less than $0.05/kWhr and the average national electricity cost is currently higher than $0.12/kWhr.

While there is some time yet to think about these things, it is very quickly evaporating. The catastrophic situation in Washington — essentially amounting to at least a 4 year delay on progressive policies with respect to the environment (to say nothing of the rollbacks made on sensible policies already in place) may well doom us. 29% of the Great Barrier Reef died last year, and essentially all the world’s remaining coral will be dead in less than 30 years at the current track we’re on. This will kill at least 25% of marine life and seriously compromise the ability of over a billion people worldwide to source their food.

All of this due to continued impacts of climate change which the public is still content to believe will only come home to roost in the year 2100. A number conveniently far out enough for all to say, “well I’ll be dead by then anyway.”

The problem is centered in the intellectual class, as much as I hate to say it. These are the ones who will happily march but simply do not understand that marching does not equate to walking anymore. It is not enough to talk, and it is not enough to walk. It’s not even enough to get jailed for a token 3 hour period for engaging in a sit in. It’s sad that the top 10 or 20% brains in this country don’t realize that their pocketbooks are what matters. They love to pat themselves on the backs for how brilliant they are and then they can’t be bothered to buy an electric car or figure out which products they purchase on a weekly basis result in more money finding its way into the hands of the Koch brothers, for example.

They keep buying gasoline, as though a decrease in consumption of 10–20% wouldn’t seriously impact supply chains. As though the Union of Concerned Scientists was just bullshitting when they determined 43% of people could use electric cars already without changing their lifestyle at all. As far back as 2013.

In short, I have to appreciate the work you’re doing because I know it’s in support of a topic I hold very dear — but at the same time I think a different vector is warranted. I can’t imagine how — even if new ground was broken yesterday — a nuclear power plant with X output could be established anywhere near as fast as a grid-scale solar field of the same output level.

Using pumped hydro storage and grid-scale batteries, we’re already on the verge of solving this problem. We just need people and policymakers to accept it — and people are stupidly waiting on policymakers.

Which seems to mean we’re pretty well cooked, unfortunately.

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    Brian Kent

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    I’m a sustainability advocate working to promote proliferation and understanding of electric vehicles and photovoltaic technology. Please send your questions!