Why renewable energy won't work.

[mrstickball]

HappySqurriel said:

Mr Khan said:

Please, saying that now is like if someone in 1960 said "there's no way we'll ever have home computers, it's just not feasible."

Technology will get there, and we're only looking at base renewables (Solar/Wind), when we can also look at other factors, like hydrogen, thorium, and other side-factors

Not to mention that we're starting to replicate the oil creation process in a way that would actually consume CO2 , via new algae farms (and the latter is something big oil supports, so we won't have any of this scare tactics propaganda working against that one)

The future of energy diversity is now, though out-of-the-ground fossil fuels will continue to have a role until their scarcity hits the point where they are cost-prohibitive, though that's still a ways off

I would actually say that people who claim we will see cost effective and practical renewable energy from solar, wind or biofuels in our lifetime are like the people in the 1960's who envisioned everyone having a flying car by the year 2000.

Realistically, Fusion and Thorium reactors are the practical energy sources of our future and most "Green" energy projects are forms of governmental waste designed to appeal to a very vocal loby while giving kickbacks to the friends of the government who is in power.

Pretty much this.

Most renewables have strategic problems that will prohibit them from replacing non-renewables. Hydro is great, but its very limited in capacity. Geothermal has significant environmental problems (see Germany's fracking issues), PV is insanely expensive and may take generations to be reasonable, and only works during the daytime, and wind is limited as to where it can be used.

I'm not against renewables. However, I am against the government forcing businesses into certain energy production methods. We have seen in Spain, who has adopted significant usage of solar, that it doesn't benefit the country nearly as much as billed - they've lost jobs due to it, it can be very expensive, and the government has invested billions into it with very little return on investment.

The free market must be the one to come up with the right solutions - regardless if it is MSR thorium breeders, PV, wind, or something else. Germany is making a huge mistake by banning nuclear by 2022.

I'm surprised that Salon is the source of your citation, Kasz. CATO had a much better presentation on green energy: