Anyone Into Alternative Energy?

[Sourbastard]

Photovoltaic energy generation is a joke. Nuclear is a good alternative, its quite clean and reasonably safe, and many of the newer designs incorporate multiple safety systems that overlap to ensure a meltdown does not occur. The amount of nuclear waste is about 25 kg of spent fuel each year to provide electricity for a thousand people, and much less than this if the fuel is reprocessed. Compare that to a coal fired station, which is the primary source of energy in Australia as coal is so cheap. Also keep in mind that uranium is present in the ground already, and its already radioactive, it doesnt fall from the sky and suddenly become radioactive. Its present in australian geology in vast amounts and is present in our underground water supplies already. We live with radioactivity everyday, even from smoke detectors and more then enough from the sun. This concept of radiation free society, is ludicrous.

And if you dont want another chernobyl, dont let a bunch of drunk Ukranians run your 30 year old power station which you never maintain nor service. Its just a machine, bad drivers cause accidents, poor maintainence causes accidents. Avoidance is easy.

That being said, best renewable I've seen was done in a desert in the states, a few thousand 4 metre diamater concave mirrors follow the sun across the sky, and redirect the light onto very large steel tank, which heats very quickly, produces steam (In vast quantities I mgiht add) and in turn generates electricity.

As we have plenty of desert here in Oz, its mad that we arent using similar schemes.