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| Solar energy is becoming more efficient, and is now cheaper than nuclear energy. |
You may not be hearing much about the end of the nuclear power industry, or the beginning of Solartopia, but these wonderful developments are indeed happening. Don't expect to see it in the doom and gloom MSM, though. This is far too hopeful, optimistic, and egalitarian for them to touch.
Harvey Wasserman's work, published in the alternative community-based journalism website, freepress.org, shows how Big Nuke has been put into "full retreat" by none other than good old citizen activism.
In Wasserman's home state of California, recent changes signal "an epic transition in how we get our energy". He rejoices that since June 7th, 2013, all 3 of the reactors at the San Onofre site have been permanently shut. And as great as that is, it is just the tip of the transition.
Since the Fukishima disaster, Japan has only been running 2 of 54 reactors in that country. Germany is in the process of replacing all its reactors with renewable sources of energy, and France looks likely to follow suit. South Korea has shut down 3 faulty reactors, and protests against the industry continue in many countries.
Wasserman celebrates this turn of events by saying that the demise of the nuclear power industry is "proof that citizen action makes all the difference in our world".
Indeed, in the period from 1996-2010 both wind and solar power generation far outgrew that of the more stagnant nuclear power which has thankfully remained flat. Now it is dipping even more thanks to its catastrophic failures across the years.
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| Nuclear is being surpassed by wind and solar electricity generation as we continue the transition toward clean, renewable energy technologies. |
Renewables are the only way to go, and it is encouraging to see that we are moving in this direction. How? Not necessarily government or business leadership in this area. No, it is happening because people like you and me are demanding it, and are taking action.
Concerted citizen action is the only answer! A small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. I believe Margaret Mead, the anthropologist, said that it is the only thing that ever has instigated meaningful change.
8 Green Steps to Solartopia
From: Solartopia.org
1. Ban Fossil/Nuclear Fuels
2. Convert to Renewables
3. Achieve Total Efficiency/Revive Mass Transit
4. Raise Sustainable/Organic Food
5. Transform the Corporation
6. Ban Waste and War
7. Achieve Social Justice/True Democracy
8. Empower Women
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ReplyDeleteWind and solar...I believe solar...were developing themselves nicely in North Dakota until Williston happened in 2008. Then all of a sudden the state has a 3.1 unemployment rate because men chasing money would rather risk their health and mess with the environment fracking in the Bakken oil field than do something meaningful. Wind and solar are those 'back burner' items now and everyone here is lauding how there's 100 years'-worth of oil to be 'discovered'. Also I heard somewhere on one of those alternative news sites that the wastewater from hydraulic fracturing is radioactive and that *other* states that do this will dump their mess into ND.
ReplyDeleteSo in essence, ND is going to end up as the country's Chernobyl-of-sorts or something like that. This is why I am moving to Colorado (among other reasons). There are solar panels EVERYWHERE there and they have enacted an 18 month moratorium on fracking - by power of the people! You don't see that sh!t here in ND...I am tired of the passive-whatever attitude of "oh, yah that's a tough one" *insert midwestern accent here* as your surroundings are used for big agribusiness and fracking because money money money. I swear North Dakota is 75 years behind everyone else. The poverty consciousness up here is just disgusting. No sense of 'enough'.
/rant done, sorry to ramble on like that ;)
Anon, Rants are more than welcome here. Especially the one in your comment. Here in British Columbia, Canada, our government is staking everything on fracking and export of liquid natural gas. It is, apparently, the goose that will lay enough golden eggs to pave our streets in the shiny stuff.
DeleteUnfortunately, this type of resource circus is a national obsession with "jobs, jobs, jobs" and "the economy is all-important" trumping regulation and caution.
If N. Dakota is 75 years behind, Canada is 100 or more. Small scale solar and wind are the way to energy self-sufficiency.
Good luck in Colorado!