If nuclear reactor is not used, what will be the replacement when oil runs out?

One of the viable sources of energy alternatives for Japan that has been mentioned in the news of late is natural gas. Australia already exports huge quantities to such countries as Korea & Malaysia. It isn't exactly clean energy, it is safer than nuclear & doesn't make oil spills & is supposed to discharge fewer greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere than coal. It is cheap though & provides quite a big "bang for your buck". There is apparently natural gas infrastructure in place in Japan, as well as oil fueled power generation plants. They are saying that these two will be expanded quickly & relatively inexpensively to try to compensate for the losses in nuclear power. You are right about other countries that were considering using nuclear power are now reconsidering. We only have one tiny experimental plant here in Australia which has been plagued with problems from the beginning. The thing is, Japan's reactors are thought to be the very best in the world. That sends grave fears out to those other countries that have old nuclear reactors. There is another way. People as individuals should be responsible for their own power generation instead of relying on a centralized power distribution system. They should use no more electricity than they are capable of generating. There is plenty of tried & true "new technology" out there that individuals can build very, very cheaply right now to supply themselves with enough power for the rest of their lives, maintenance-free & sustainably / renewably / environmentally friendly. Electricity should not be controlled by some huge organizations, cartels & governments, but be freely available to each of us as we have need to use it.

I definitely would not want to go back to the old days. We should go forward and not backward. Hopefully, someday the scientists would find a nature friendly nuclear plants or something and make the world a safer place. However, considering all the prophecy that our earth would one day destroyed beyond recognition, I doubt this will find will materialized. We can only hope for the best at a time.

Hi there, This is a serious matter. If the radiation increases there is a threat to life and that too not less. Hope they would find a way out so that radiation stops. About the alternative to Electricity we would need to utilize nuclear power. What happened in Japan was a mere accident, I mean natural havoc. In future we would build them with such technology that they do not suffer set back like this. Or else...

Nuclear energy in today's power plant is a very primitive. In time, mankind will discover better ways with limitless power. After all the sun is nuclear energy that has been running untouched for billions of years. One thing that would really help today. They should have more and better backup and containment systems. Money and greed keeps this from happening. There is always a cost, isn't there??

For me I think we better stick on the oil source of energy while looking for other alternative. It's pointless if we'll gonna continue using this nuclear. We better go back to the primitive period than continue using this. Just imagine if almost the whole country using this nuclear power plant.

How about geothermal energy and hydropower? Dams can provide us with electricity and so are volcanoes. Let's use the power of nature. There are many active volcanoes in the world. And China has one of the largest dams in the world. The Ocean can also help provide electricity. Mother nature can help us if we only use her gifts for us.

That's what I have been saying about stopping drilling for oil and using gasoline. 18wheelers and trains and such can't run on "Green Energy" or air or hybred this or that. THey need GAS!!!! IF the truckers can't deliver...we don't get anything! Also, electric cars....no one ever says how much ($) is costs to charge one up...is the electricity cheaper than the gas? And where does that electric come from... It is a circle that get larger with each generation. You can't stop it, just try for the new changes to work. I mean, electric cars....if you drive alot or live a ways from work...you have to watch recharging as you can't just pull into the next "fuel" station. And for vacations...I doubt the hotels are going to let you plug into their outlets and what if the distance between two cities (hopefully they each have a electric station) is farther than the "miles per watt" will get you? Japan did have the NRC to make theirs as safe as ours. My husband worked on Diablo Canyon Nuker back in the 80's just before it went on line...The checks and rechecks and inspections and safety this and that...It was constant and always ongoing. Nothing can stand the "big one"...but I'd say ours out here in California are safe as possibly can be. He also worked on San Onofre down near San Diego...same thing..they shut them down for repairs and maintenance and everything is individually almost..inspected and checked and rechecked.

Well, there's always the solution to built nuclear power plants, but stay away from fault lines and other areas prone to be hit by tsunamis and earthquakes. Then the world nations would have to agree about for example using Japanese technology but placing the plant somewhere else, and then dividing the power between them. That could prove a problem, people aren't that good at cooperating really :-/ I think we should go for reducing how much electricity we use, but there's a way between continuing to use as much power as we do now and trying to get everyone up to Western standards and going primitive again. I believe in micro power plants. At least I think I do. Not nuclear, but wind, waves etc. I think that if it was more money it in, there'd be easier to come up with some clever solutions.

As it is the main source of energy for large scale power generation is hydro electric. The use of nuclear energy in power generation is less than one percent. The petroleum fuel is used in smaller generators mostly used as stand by units. The problem with the large scale hydroelectric power projects is the large dams required for the project submerges large areas under water. The people staying in such areas are to be settled some where else. There is wide spread opposition for such displacement. More and more nations were going for nuclear energy to avoid this problem. People are also developing non conventional energy like solar energy wind energy etc. all over the world. Hopefully we may be able to see some better source of energy in days to come.

I've been wondering for the past 30 years IF it ever will be safe to use nuclear power plants. After every problems they're causing and the risk of radiation. It would be better to expand sun cell energy, wind craft energy and wave craft energy. It is free from dangerous nuclear radiation.

Nuclear power is only one of the the alternate, source of energy. Eversince Nuclear power is used for electricity, it was no considered as to only alternative, since that it is so expensive, and dangerous to dispose. There other safe alternative sources of energy, right now is in the stages of development. We all need to petition the government, to make patton of these alternative enery be loose from the interference of the big oil companies who do want these alternatives.