The fact is: "In 2008, renewable energy supplied around 19% of the world's energy consumption."

[grahamhgreen]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_energy_resources_and_consumption

The time is now to abandon the dirty, dangerous, and expensive nuclear folly.

Don't believe the hype of the nuclear lobby and Fox News, we can easily move to renewable only.

[GKirk]

1. Yes, we can move to it, but

it can't be done as fast as any of us want.

[grahamhgreen]

2. It is faster to build a renewable plant than a nuclear one.

[prairierose]

4. Yes, this is very true and more importantly, taxpayers do not have to...

guarantee either construction costs or insure the plants against accident. Which are both true for nuclear power now.

[midnight]

5. Good to know....

[Richard D]

3. There's much that should be done.

Methane production from animal waste and sewerage, tidal power generation, wind, solar, and probably more.
I can't help but think that if this was tackled with the urgency of the Manhattan Project or the race to the moon, we could have true renewable and sustainable power in a matter of years. Just gotta stop pouring trillions into the stupid fucking wars for oil.

[originalpckelly]

6. Don't forget geothermal...

California uses that too!

[grahamhgreen]

7. Agreed

[uponit7771]

8. Nuclear energy can be safe, people who hate government oversight makes it unsafe.

There are countries who've been using nuke energy safely for generations now and have taken the risk Japan has took, by running 40+ yr old reactors, out of the equation.

[Agony]

9. Don't forget about NegaWatts

58% rejected energy... also says a lot about the need for decentralized energy production



Americans using less energy, more renewables

LIVERMORE, Calif. — Americans are using less energy overall and making more use of renewable energy resources.

The United States used significantly less coal and petroleum in 2009 than in 2008, and significantly more wind power. There also was a decline in natural gas use and increases in solar, hydro and geothermal power according to the most recent energy flow charts released by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

“Energy use tends to follow the level of economic activity, and that level declined last year. At the same time, higher efficiency appliances and vehicles reduced energy use even further,” said A.J. Simon, an LLNL energy systems analyst who develops the energy flow charts using data provided by the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration. “As a result, people and businesses are using less energy in general.”

https://www.llnl.gov/news/newsreleases/2010/NR-10-08-05.html

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. But remember, over half of that (13%) was "traditional biomass" used for cooking and heating

So, basically, burning plants or dung.

Here's the full quote from the report (page 15):

Renewable energy supplies 19 percent of global final
energy consumption, counting traditional biomass, large
hydropower, and “new” renewables (small hydro, modern
biomass, wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels).1 (See
Figure 1.) Of this 19 percent, traditional biomass, used
primarily for cooking and heating, accounts for approximately
13 percent and is growing slowly or even declining
in some regions as biomass is used more efficiently or is
replaced by more modern energy forms. Hydropower
represents 3.2 percent and is growing modestly but from
a large base.*2 Other renewables account for 2.6 percent
and are growing very rapidly in developed countries and
in some developing countries.

http://www.ren21.net/Portals/97/documents/GSR/REN21_GSR_2010_full_revised%20Sept2010.pdf

And Figure 1 shows:
nuclear energy 2.8%
hydropower 3.2%
wind/solar/biomass/geothermal generation 0.7%

So, renewable electricity generation was (in 2008) about a quarter of nuclear, if hydropower is excluded. It's not an 'easy' move.