Quote Originally Posted by Power5 View Post
I think we will see another fission disaster in the next 20 years if we do not start shutting down. Unless those old plants are all going to be updated in that time. Doubtful. Chernobyl was 25 years ago. Fukishima was not built much better obviously. Problem with Fission is that you can not just turn them off. Sad part is that Fusion power will not likely be wide spread in my lifetime. Scientists seem to think 2040-2050 will be the earliest commercial fusion plants. Plenty of time for a couple more fukishimas or chernobyls first.
You still didn't answer the biggest question about that whole idea - If we were to start shutting everything down over the next 20 years, WHAT would you replace them with?

................ yeah, there really isn't anything that has the power density needed.

Nuke plants are fine when tended to properly and built in safe areas, away from earthquake danger zones and such. Chernobyl was shoddy, Japan's major problem is the whole country is a fault line, so I'm not sure what their alternatives really are.

Don't get me wrong, I'd LOVE to see fusion take off given how much safer it is. But unless something happens soon with it, we can't just go shutting down current fission plants because oh noes they may blow up...