It gives me a lot of hope seeing how many comments here bring up the question of nuclear. Why is it that so many conversations on energy 'only' discuss renewables versus fossil fuels? The energy density and overall safety of nuclear power is unparalleled, and yet it seems to be completely disregarded by many in this kind of conversation. Especially considering it's green (doesn't emit carbon dioxide) and is baseload, meaning it can run when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing.
So what's the argument against nuclear? Is it that plants might meltdown? How many nuclear accidents have occurred throughout history and how many people were hurt or died as a result. The answer would shock most people. More people have died from falling off rooftops while installing solar panels. Additionally, with the newer generation reactors and especially the SMRs (small modular reactors) coming, this will absolutely be a non-issue. Again, compare this to other power plants. People seem to turn a blind eye to gas power plants that randomly catch fire or explode. What about all the hydroelectric dams that have collapsed, taking out countless lives? We tend to ignore these issues but focus on the very few nuclear events. If you focus on the actual statistics then it paints a different picture. Nuclear is literally one of the safest ways humans can create electricity.
Okay, so what about 'all that nuclear waste'. Well, nuclear waste is basically the 'only' kind of energy waste that has extremely strict regulations. Fossil fuels - coal and gas powered plants - spew particulate matter haphazardly into the atmosphere, literally killing millions of people every year. Nuclear waste is contained and safely stored. There have never been any issues with storing nuclear waste. In addition, the amount of waste generated would surprise most people. In the course of your life, if all the electricity you ever used was generated by nuclear, you'd use about a soda can size of uranium, and end up with a soda can size of waste. And eventually, newer generation designs will be able to use that 'waste' as fuel. So it's really not waste, it's stored fuel for future consumption. But solar and wind are renewable and don't emit any waste, right? Wrong. In the next 10-15 years, we will see massive amounts of photovoltaic cells and wind turbines come to the end of their useful lives. This will create an enormous amount of waste that will end up in landfills. And yes, the materials used to make these things are highly toxic, meaning they'll end up seeping into the ground. Great stuff.
We also tend to ignore the fact that any of our energy production requires inputs. What would it take if we wanted to power the world with solar and wind? Well, we'd have to materially increase mining activities all over the world...by many factors. Rare earths, silver, copper, etc are all needed to build these things. It would be absolutely mind boggling to think about how much we would need to mine in order to accomplish this endeavour.
People need to educate themselves. Look at the facts and come to proper realizations. I know most people would rather live beside a coal power plant rather than a nuclear power plant, even though more radiation comes off the coal plant. Look to leaders like Bill Gates, who is aggressively researching newer reactor designs. The fact is that the 2020s will usher in a new era of SMRs that are safe and cheap. The economic prosperity generated from this coming boom will cause a surge in the standard of living for all people across the globe. The future is going to be great...and it's going to be nuclear.