Quote:
Originally Posted by Broadsword2004
Does the ANWAR reserve, and the reserves off-shore, have enough oil to really make a difference though?
Does the nation have enough oil to become a net oil exporter again?
Is there enough uranium to supply this many powerplants? (from what I've read, the global uranium supply has limits too)
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It is a demand issue, as well as supply.
If we continue with a ban on drilling, we are not going to have any production, or even exploration in those areas.
As far as uranium goes, my understanding is that there is more than a 100 year supply available at current consumption rates, and more than twice that much which should be economically recoverable. Since a large part of the fissionable material remains after being removed as fuel rods, reprocessing and recovery should provide many centuries of fuel beyond that. The largest known reserves are in Australia and Canada.
This is a stopgap measure as well, since our ultimate goal is a sustainable long-term power source. Unfortunately, if we do not adopt a plan which will sustain us long enough to discover new energy sources, we are going to find that our society is going to implode as current conventional sources become depleted and uneconomical to produce. I am not an expert, but it seems to me that currently increasing global energy needs and declining available resources are rapidly on their way to a crossing point in the not too distant future. Not looking for a long-term sustainable solution, and supporting short- and mid-term plans to provide for our needs till then would seem to me to be imprudent.
I am not sure that any of our elected leadership have the stones to buck the interests and groups that would be opposed to such plans. We truly have our heads in the sand.
Just my .02, YMMV.
TR