The current designs of lightwater reactors may well be safe, but they still generate large amounts of very dangerous waste. They are also expensive to build and very expensive to decommission. There are some promising designs for reactors which produce much less waste, but they are, AFAIK, unproven at the moment.
Green power is seeing steadily reduced subsidies. IIRC solar power is now roughly cost equivalent to coal. We also forget the enormous subsidies the fossil fuel industries have received, and continue to do so.
It's not an issue of "running out of oil". The problem is that to avert climate disaster we cannot burn the proven fossil reserves we already have. It has to stay in the ground.
rsilvers said:
Do I want my electricity to be 35 cents per KwH like NY due to regulation? No. Do I want gasoline to cost as much as CA due to regulation? No. Am I ok with fracking? Absolutely. Do I want a pipeline for natural gas? Yes.
Nobody wants to pay more to continue receiving they previously enjoyed at a lower price. However, commercial drivers are often the strongest source of change in social habits. It mostly impacts commerce and industry, where a modest change in energy prices makes it viable to invest in more efficient processes. Increased domestic energy prices can encourage people to better insulate their homes and drive more fuel efficient cars. The effect is paying more per unit but using less, so cost stays relatively flat. It's just incentivising people to make the upfront expenditure of more efficient technology. It's like replacing the incandescent bulbs in your home with LED.
Also, we all make a compromise between responsible (low impact) living and convenience and enjoyment. Different people are just at different points on the spectrum. We're likely to see a shift in the average behaviour, though. A decade ago it was normal that all household refuse went to landfill (no separation or recycling) and people let their dogs shit in the street. That's now minority behaviour.
