In a first, wind power is second-leading U.S. source of electricity in one day

[hunter]

25. That's easy to say, but how do we accomplish it?

Unfortunately we've worked ourselves into a corner and become entirely dependent on high density energy sources for food, clean water, and comfortable shelter. Without these high density energy sources, now mostly derived from fossil fuels, I figure half of earth's human population wouldn't survive. Our continued use of fossil fuels will have similar consequences.

That's the primary reason I changed my mind about nuclear power. I used to be a radical anti-nuclear activist. Now I think it's the only path out of this mess.

Even conventional light water nuclear power plants, with all the usual circuses that accompany their construction, are preferable to any type of fossil fuel plant.

These light water reactors only extract a small fraction of the potential energy in their fuel. This used fuel can be stored safely on site indefinitely awaiting reprocessing for use in more efficient reactors.

The technology already exists to use fissionable materials that have already been mined as fuel. This includes used fuel from light water reactors, depleted uranium, plutonium from nuclear weapons, thorium and uranium extracted from mine tailings, etc..

The reason uranium has always been used in once-through fuel cycles is because it's readily available, and it's cheap as well if we ignore the environmental impacts of mining it.

Just as we ignore the much, much greater environmental impacts of fossil fuels.