Well Rotating a rotor on a generator is the most convenient way to make electricity with parts that last a long amount of time. Also doesn’t help that we use AC power while other sources like photovoltaic produce DC power which needs to be converted to be used.
Solar farms did start out as using the sun to boil water. Basically mirrors redirecting light to a central point to super-heat a pipe flowing with water.
ACKSHUALLY you’re not burning atoms in a nuclear reaction. You’re creating a chain reaction of neutrons colliding with Uranium isotopes. No combustion.
Technically, as long as there’s more than zero percent humidity I guess wind turbines are still powered by steam. And hydro is essentially steam, too, just the cooler version.
Kyle Hill has done so much good in combating the absolute minefield of fearmongering and misinformation surrounding Nuclear power.
As long as you play by the rules, it's incredibly safe. It's when you start taking shortcuts and start fucking around that you find out... and there are plenty of things more likely to kill you than nuclear.
Okay, but what about all of the leaking nuclear waste stockpiles? What about the very real nuclear meltdowns that have happened that have resulted in the complete evacuation and condemnation of vast tracts of land that are now totally unusable?
What about the toxic fumes from burning fossil fuels literally killing ppl every year? What about the damaged ecosystems from hydro power dams? What about the unrecyclable wind turbine blades that end up in landfill? What about them shiny solar panels in the winter when you have a few hours of sun mostly hidden behind clouds?
Every energy production has its drawbacks otherwise we wouldn’t have so many issues with global warming. The thing is, when looking at how much damage the fossil fuels did compared to 3 nuclear accidents, I think there is a clear winner.
I see your youtuber, and raise you Scientific American with quotes by actual doctors and nuclear technicians. In detail, the article explores all of the myriad ways that nuclear power is the opposite of kissable. My fav? Illinois isn’t on a fault line, but they send all of their spent nuclear fuel to Nevada, where it is stored on a fault line.
That’s why photovoltaics need much more R&D. They are the only true advancement in electricity production since the inception of broadly adopted electrification.
Helion’s approach is actually different. They are attempting to capture energy directly through induction. I hope it pans out for them, seems like a really interesting approach.
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