Mosomoso,
We need to consider the matter of wasted fossil fuels. For example, Australia burns – and will continue to burn – its abundant coal in aging clunkers.
You are dead right on that. if readers go the EIA web site linked above and download the Excel files for World Carbon dioxide emissions from coal use and the electricity generated by coal, then divide the world averages for these the emissions intensity is 1.67 Mt CO2/MWh in 2005 decreasing to 1.49 Mt CO2/MWh in 2040. That is atrocious. Admittedly some coal is not generating electricity, but even so the world average emissions intensity for coal fired electricity generation is atrocious.
Yes, we could upgrade to better coal fired electricity generation and that is exactly what China, Taiwan and many other developing countries are doing. But that would give only a small improvement in CO2 emissions intensity compared with going straight to nuclear power. But the world will not go to nuclear power while it is too expensive.
The USA holds the keys to unblocking development of low cost nuclear power. The USA is the thrombosis blocking the world from having low cost nuclear power. And the ‘Progressives’ are at the core of the problem. The ‘Progressives’ are blocking progress.
