Energy/How to meet the demand
< Energy
Assuming that people are willing to accept extreme social changes, here's how we could generate enough energy with renewables:
- Develop cheap solar panels that don't depend on scarce minerals. Install them on almost all rooftops. This would provide the majority of energy.
- Add wind turbines to farmland or barren land, wherever it's windy enough. Use the wind power to generate hydrogen gas.
- Most semi trucks could run on hydrogen combustion.
- Most electric cars should be cheap, short-range vehicles that use sodium-ion batteries.
- Develop public transit and walkability.
- Use sodium-ion or iron-redox flow batteries as energy storage for solar electricity on the power grid.
- Incentivize people to charge their vehicles mostly during the day.
- Incentivize factories to run only during the day (and maybe even pause operation during rainy days).
With this approach, 8 billion people could live a decent quality of life without exceeding the earth's resources (minerals or land). The technological changes needed are well within reach.[new page needed] The economic & cultural changes are viable as long as people are willing to accept them.[new page needed]
If thorium breeder reactors become viable,[ACTION PLAN needed?] then it all becomes easier. Most of the above challenges fade away - except for electric vehicles, which would be just as important as ever.