Not relative to simply reducing the volume of carbon produced, by shifting the composition of the grid.
You understand that there are already too many greenhouse gases, right? By the time we do all of this there will be even more. It’s not like the grid is the only (or even the majority) of greenhouse gases. How do you account for both all the past emmisions and all the future emissions plus emissions from other sources?
Given the abject failure of Westinghouse to produce a reliable mass production model, it’s an enormous waste of investment.
If nothing else, we’d be better of someone buying existing designs from Areva. But we don’t do that, because we insist on “Buy American” legislation that doesn’t get us any actual product.
The main alternatives being French and Chinese reactor designs. I can understand why the USA doesn’t want to use Chinese reactors, we in the UK made a similar decision and went with French designs instead if I am remembering correctly. I wouldn’t be against the USA using French designs. The thing is though I can’t see how more research could possibly be a bad thing, we have much work to do in both fission and fusion technologies. Putting all our bets in China or France might not be the best idea.
You understand that there are already too many greenhouse gases, right?
The rate at which we produce green house has exceeded the rate at which it is absorbed and fixed.
Carbon capture attempts to accelerate the rate of carbon fixing at a very high per-ton economic cost. Meanwhile, turning off fossil plants and replacing them with renewable energy reduces the rate of per-ton generation at a comparably low cost.
If you’re on a sinking ship, there’s little point in bailing when you haven’t plugged the hole.
I can understand why the USA doesn’t want to use Chinese reactors
Pure reactionary xenophobia. Chinese thorium reactors are cutting edge, and we’re adding degree points to the global average by not adopting it ASAP.
Putting all our bets in China or France might not be the best idea.
Putting money on Westinghouse has consistently cost us enormously.
We need to be doing both. Once the grid is fixed or close to it then we will need carbon capture to reverse the damage. It’s either that or massive reforestation or using algae or something (liquid trees anyone?).
Pure reactionary xenophobia. Chinese thorium reactors are cutting edge, and we’re adding degree points to the global average by not adopting it ASAP.
If they own the plant they could theoretically sabotage it. Would they in practice? No idea but so long as the USA believes they might they won’t use Chinese technology.
Neither the USA or China are good regimes. To be honest I want to see them both either broken or re-formed.
Westinghouse aren’t the only people in the USA doing nuclear research afaik. I believe the DOE national laboratory does research on fusion for example. There are private companies like NuScale also working on fission designs in the USA.
We need to be doing both.
In proportion to their value add. Enormous investments in a low yield long shot against minor investment in a sure thing is a bad strategy
