Jason Antol » energy http://www.jasonantol.com Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:47:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc en hourly 1 The Switch To Clean Energy Has Never Been More Important http://www.jasonantol.com/the-switch-to-clean-energy-has-never-been-more-important/ http://www.jasonantol.com/the-switch-to-clean-energy-has-never-been-more-important/#comments Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:55:01 +0000 Jason http://jasonantol.com/?p=3 Go back 30 years and you’ll see that the green movement was positively anti-nuclear. It seems strange that 30 years on a number of the very same people are placing their hopes on nuclear power to prevent global warming. It may be that we have no choice other than to go Nuclear but “why aren’t we placing more emphasis on cleaner types of energy?” Some governments (Denmark is a case in point) have already made great strides in harnessing cleaner and safer types of energy including both wind farms and solar power systems. They have had great success so you have to ask why other countries are favoring Nuclear Power?

The old problems associated with Nuclear Power have by no means gone away. It is still an intrinsically dangerous form of energy and we still have no viable solution to getting rid of radioactive waste! What is keeping us from moving to other forms of energy?

The common argument is that the cost of moving to cleaner forms of energy is far more expensive than staying with fossil fuels. But what of those unspoken costs staying with fossil fuels or switching to nuclear power?

It is common knowledge that our fossil fuel resources are running out. With the demand for energy on the increase there is only one possible outcome. Rising energy prices! On the other hand, the energy provided by the water, wind and Sun is free and will be available for a very long time.

Harnessing the power of alternative forms of energy may not be cost effective at the moment but future developments will surely lead to greater efficiency. For instance, take solar technology. With semiconductor technology advancing in leaps and bounds, solar panels are becoming ever more efficient. Not so long ago solar panels could only be utilised effectively in warmer climates. Today, we see them being used in many different environments. Indeed, solar technology has advanced so much people are investing in their own DIY Solar systems. If people think it worth their while to build and install their own solar power systems then why can’t it be done on a wider scale.

The financial problem of sticking with fossil fuel energy resources is not just limited to supply. The cost of lowering our CO2 emissions or removal of dangerous waste material is a cost that will stay with us for many years. Alternative forms of energy like solar, wind and Hydro power are all clean and pollutant free. Future generations will not have to pay for what we do now. The cost of short term thinking is a high price to pay for the future of mankind. Let’s keep nuclear power at a distance. The Sun would be far enough.

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