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Nuclear power produces a small proportion of the world’s electricity, so an even smaller proportion of humanity’s total energy. It could be scaled up, but there isn’t really enough uranium:
World’s Uranium Resources Enough for the Foreseeable Future, Say NEA and IAEA in New Report
– IAEA iaea.org
– … The world’s conventional identified uranium resources amounted to 8 070 400 tonnes of uranium metal (tU) as of 1 January 2019. These represent all reasonably assured and inferred uranium resources that could be recovered at market prices ranging from 40 to 260 USD/KgU (equivalent to 15 to 100 USD/lb U3O8). Compared to the total reported in the 2018 edition, this is an increase of only 1%. A small portion of the overall changes in identified resources relate to new discoveries…
– …Depending on developments in the nuclear energy sector, reactor-related uranium requirements could range from 56 640 tU/yr in a low demand scenario to 100 224 tU/yr in a high demand scenario by 2040…
– Given these projections, the uranium resource base described in the Red Book is more than adequate to meet low and high case uranium demand through 2040 and beyond. Meeting high case demand requirements through 2040 would consume about 28% of the total 2019 identified resource base recoverable at a cost of < USD 130/kgU (USD 50/lb U3O8) and 87% of identified resources available at a cost of < USD 80/kgU (equivalent USD 30/lb U3O8)…
I make that about eighty to one hundred and fifty years worth. This is “conventional uranium”, ie. it’s in a readily available form, and of course there are other forms that are more difficult to recover – but that’s a depletion scenario, just as with fossil hydrocarbons. So I’ll hazard a guess that uranium couldn’t supply all humanity’s energy needs for more than about fifty years.
Here’s an interesting paper from 2010 that’s relevant to this discussion; one that may interest Lapsed Agnostic:
The status of conventional world oil reserves — Hype or cause for concern?
DOI:10.1016/j.enpol.2010.02.026
Nick Owen, University of Cambridge;
Oliver R Inderwildi, Swiss Academy of Sciences;
David A. King – (Wikipedia page)– The status of world oil reserves is a contentious issue, polarised between advocates of peak oil who believe production will soon decline, and major oil companies that say there is enough oil to last for decades. In reality, much of the disagreement can be resolved through clear definition of the grade, type, and reporting framework used to estimate oil reserve volumes.
I think that the main problem with a renewable energy right now in the world, it is an absolute disproof of its usage. I mean, people (or governments?) are trying to implement them instead of fossil fuels.
In my opinion, renewable energy is a pivotal factor. However, it should not be an absolute solution to everything. At least, until the humankind will research better renewable energy and its proper connection to our daily life.
Right now, thanks to the fossil fuels, I am able to order things from abroad. Thanks to it, I was able to transport to spain from uk two high-priced nezuke statues that I was about to gift to parents of my wife. I do not think, that renewably energised ships would be able to do that. Do you know why? Because they do not exist yet, haha.
Err, Phantomio.
So, all the historical Spanish in South America, the Dutch merchants and the British east india company didn’t use sailing ships?
You’re kidding, right?
2 million Irish emigrants swam to USA across the atlantic in the 1840’s?Also, there are a number of enterprises who have in development electric and wind powered/assisted ships. Airbus being one. Ships are big. The weight of electric power storage isn’t such a problem as it is on air craft.
Phantomio: spambot, somewhat dysfunctional.
ET: Fairtransport.
