[Altay-]

Per-capita energy usage is already falling across the developed world. And that's just with current trends. We could easily tax electricity far higher in most countries, mandate higher efficiency (the US still uses giant furnaces and hot water heaters) and tax carbon.

Why do people on Hacker News seem so drawn to Nuclear? Its insanely expensive, it takes forever for a plant to come online, and worst of all for an industry that likes to remain 'boring' -- it draws too much public attention.

Why fight all that? WHY?

[jagger27]

Because when a super volcano eruption blocks out the sun for 6 months we could still have a stable baseline.

[rhino369]

If we taxed carbon that highly we'd end up just building nuclear plants anyway. Solar and wind just can't provide baseline power or on demand power, at least not yet.

Reducation is use needs to be a key part of global warming mitigation, but it isn't going to be the only part. Per capita is falling, but the world is still growing. And per capita usage is skyrocketing in the third world.

And per capita electrical grid usage might increase as electric cars start replacing ICE cars.

[abledon]

"Why do people on Hacker News seem so drawn to Nuclear? Its insanely expensive, it takes forever for a plant to come online, and worst of all for an industry that likes to remain 'boring' -- it draws too much public attention."

Because we are numbed from too many waterfall style management projects and can't imagine any other way ;)