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# Nuclear power : always-on, decent output, but produces icky waste
Wind power : only works when wind blows, infuriates NIMBY crowd, heavily subsidised. Sort of works.
Fossil fuels : produces that CO2 stuff that's mucking up the weather. But digging up British coal would be pretty sweet for the UK economy.
Solar power : In the UK? You're kidding, right?
Wave/Tidal power : underfunded, has potential.
Harnessing hot air from the Houses of Parliament : Only works when in session.
(I helped save b3ta! Tribs 🦇 ↓ dn ʎɐʍ sᴉɥʇ ↓🦇, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:41, archived)
# Fusion would be nice, if it worked.
(I helped save b3ta! Mu Dinofiddler, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:44, archived)
# Yup
Quite a long way (and billions of quid) away though. How easy is it to extract Deuterium/Tritium from water? Would it be cost-effective?
(I helped save b3ta! Tribs 🦇 ↓ dn ʎɐʍ sᴉɥʇ ↓🦇, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:46, archived)
# Solar satellites are probably the future though.
Beaming power down as microwaves.
(I helped save b3ta! Mu Dinofiddler, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:46, archived)
# STS-75 Tether will still work! It will it will it will!
(I helped save b3ta! Ttssattsr, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:48, archived)
# Not just the waste
preparing the fuel is also a sad part of nuclear power. Oh and the tiny issue with possible disasters.

It still has my vote for only viable option.

[/serious]
(macroscian (1 like), Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:46, archived)
# Sadly, yes, for now
Until something better gets developed it might be the lesser of all the evils. And they'd better hurry up before we have an energy crisis or something.
(I helped save b3ta! Tribs 🦇 ↓ dn ʎɐʍ sᴉɥʇ ↓🦇, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:49, archived)
# "only viable option"...
even if that were true, that doesn't necessarily make it acceptable. Perhaps it just implies that we need to come up with more options.
(I helped save b3ta! mofaha ┐( ˘_˘)┌ ʅ(́◡◝)ʃ, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:50, archived)
# Oh
only option to me personally, in my view.

For all of these the main thing to realize is that they're built and run by whoever does it the cheapest.
(macroscian (1 like), Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:59, archived)
# Fuck the NIMBYs
that's all I have to say about them
(I helped save b3ta! emvee cruor deo cruoris, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:49, archived)
# no one said you have to put your solar panels on british soil
there's enough sunny space in deserts like the sahara, only tranporting the harnessed power to northern europe will be a bit tricky, but not unsolveable (high voltage power lines, hydrogen, advanced batteries...)
(I helped save b3ta! pzyko Query failed., Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:52, archived)
# Aye -
It could be a huge boost to African development, too.

There could be a DC supergrid, connecting solar arrays in North Africa, wind and tide power off the British Isles, geothermal energy from iceland, nuclear from Russia, waterfall turbine thingies from Norway... All parts of the grid would contribute at different times, and all would have access to the lot.

I like this idea a lot.
(I helped save b3ta! Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:55, archived)
# where can I vote for this?
(I helped save b3ta! pzyko Query failed., Thu 17 Jun 2010, 15:06, archived)
# Iceland certainly needs the money
Giving the UK cheap power would be a nice gesture.

This is quite informative - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HVDC#Renewable_electricity_superhighways
(I helped save b3ta! Tribs 🦇 ↓ dn ʎɐʍ sᴉɥʇ ↓🦇, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 15:16, archived)
# Nuclear power: also heavily subsidised. (Too cheap to meter, they said... Pah!)
Solar power in the UK has potential, I reckon. You don't need much direct light, after all. Even in winter, there ought to be enough daylight to make a big difference, technology pending.

Wind power: beautiful. I'd much rather watch a field of turbines than a DRAX power station.


But... yeah.

I'd add to the list GM algae farms producing biofuels, and geothermal heat exchange.

EDIT: Ooooh, and vacuum energy. Sod the fact that it's merely hypothetical and I'm having trouble keeping sci-fi from reality. It's still infinite.
(I helped save b3ta! Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:52, archived)
# Geothermal is wonderful. But is nicking energy from the Earth itself really the way to go?
(I helped save b3ta! Mu Dinofiddler, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:54, archived)
# There's a lot of energy there to be tapped.
The planet's core is in no danger of solidifying for as long as humanity's around.
(I helped save b3ta! Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:56, archived)
# Not while we're not POURING COLD WATER INTO THE EARTH'S HEART there isn't.
(I helped save b3ta! Mu Dinofiddler, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:59, archived)
# Fair point.
But there'd be fewer volcanic ash clouds, so, y'know, swings and roundabouts...

:)
(I helped save b3ta! Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 15:02, archived)
# Drop in the ocean (ho ho)
The amount of energy extracted is incredibly tiny compared to how much is down there.
(I helped save b3ta! Tribs 🦇 ↓ dn ʎɐʍ sᴉɥʇ ↓🦇, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 15:17, archived)
# They said something similar about oil.
(I helped save b3ta! Mu Dinofiddler, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 15:26, archived)
# We could certainly do some awesome stuff if we used all the earth's geothermal energy.
It mostly comes from decaying radioactive elements. I don't think the Earth is doing anything useful with it.
(_Felix 's school of dance and occult sciences, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 16:05, archived)
# prettiness is an integral part of efficiency, I find.
(I helped save b3ta! drbroon abloooobloobloo, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:58, archived)
# YES.
And anyone who denies this is a boring nay-sayer with a dessicated soul, or summink.
(I helped save b3ta! Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 15:03, archived)
# wind power would be much more sensible if the turbines were out at sea really
but it's pricey, so 20-30% efficiency for the on-land ones is apparently cool with the government, because they don't have to spend much money in order to look greener.
(I helped save b3ta! drbroon abloooobloobloo, Thu 17 Jun 2010, 15:10, archived)
# i know i'm late for this but you should all read this before making any statements about nuclear power
skeptoid.com/episodes/4092

it's a nice run down of the basic facts as opposed to stuff you learned from the simpsons
(I helped save b3ta! Lightguy hail satan, Sun 20 Jun 2010, 2:13, archived)