Re:First new U.S. nuclear reactor since 2016 is now in opera...
by defrost on Thursday December 28, 2023 @04:18AM
(#38791578)
As you're asking, the bulk of the world's population survives with a much lower energy per capita usage than, say, a median US citizen.
For the high energy consumers it's more a perceived need than an actual need.
Further, energy availability appears to work akin to road availability; if you build a six lane highway traffic expands to fill it.
The obvious reason for wanting lower global energy use at this particular point in time is reduce the still increasing by products of energy production, greenhouse gases.
Once the climate parameters return to safer values energy production without those side effects can expand .. while we look at addressing the unwanted toxic by products of our new sources of energy - less greenhouse gases, more acids and waste associated with nickel, copper, lithium, et al.
Why shouldn't I be able to have oodles of energy at the flick of a switch?
Why is it bad that people had more than 100 years of using energy at a reasonable price point? Why do you think it's good for the energy to become more expensive or not to be available at all?
We do need energy for everything.