Can We Make Electricity Without Fossil Fuels?: Crash Course Climate & Energy #3

Nearly a third of all our greenhouse gas emissions come from generating electricity. Scientists agree that we have to find ways to make electricity without releasing so much carbon dioxide into the air. In this episode of Crash Course Climate and Energy, we’re going to tell you about some of the ways scientists and engineers are decarbonizing the electricity supply with energy sources such as solar, wind, nuclear, and hydroelectric and the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Chapters:
Introduction: Decarbonizing Electricity 00:00
Electricity From Solar & Wind Power 2:05
Challenges of Solar & Wind Power 3:36
Hydroelectric Power 6:46
Nuclear Power 8:21
Why Carbon-Free Electricity Matters 9:52
Review & Credits 11:35

Sources:

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[SiTiX]

Geothermal power plants are always underrepresented in these types of videos and discussions.
Even though they can be a great - if not the best - option in many places.

[jl]

Speaking of clean energy, I have heard that there was an experiment where there was a group of high school kids that was able to invent sound energy, I wonder if that thing is still in progress or just simply abandoned. I hope we would be able to see them one day.

[AaronKlapheck]

Thank you! Glad you represented the danger of nuclear energy accurately. Nuclear accidents makes headlines but is hundreds of times safer than coal and oil.

[Dr.Gehrig]

I'm surprised and disappointed that she didn't mention geothermal or bioenergy in the carbon clean energy mix, tidal may have been worth a mention as well. Too often forgotten but they are important and need expansion. This topic should have either been made into a bigger video or split in two. Geothermal and bioenergy needed to be discussed.

[cmuller]

The problem with solar and wind is also the ressources needed. To replace a single nuclear plant you need a lot of turbines hence a lot of steel, copper, concrete (foundations) etc... All those materials are not renewables too. We keep digging deeper and deeper to get them at a huge environmental cost.
Also wind power is proportional to v^3 the speed of the wind cubed. (Because energy is 1/2 m v^2 and the amount of air passing on a turbine is proportional to v). So even if a wind turbine works with little wind, the production is tiny. Also when there's too much wind, it's too much power and you have to stop the turbine to avoid self destruction.
In summer a solar panel can produce only 35% of its peak power on average per 24h (if you have enough storage to smoothen the production). In winter it's around 5 to 10% only because of longer nights and a sun that stays low in the sky.
The only solution we have is nuclear. But even there we have to be able to exploit the U238 instead of just the 0.7% U235 otherwise we will consume that ressource in a few decades.

[HaldaneSmith]

I'm looking forward to the next episode on energy storage, and I appreciate that this series is data driven. I hope the next episode answers: 1. How much storage would an all wind and solar grid require (e.g. 65% from wind and solar and 35% from storage)? 2. How much would this storage cost with today's technology and how much in 10 years? 3. How much will this storage percentage be reduced by grid improvements being made by the infrastructure bill passed in 2022? 4. How much could the storage percentage be reduced by an ideal improvement to our grid infrastructure? 5. How much could the percentage be reduced with energy efficiency standards for appliances? 6. How much of the storage percentage could be replaced with nuclear and hydro energy? 7. You imply in this video that nuclear and hydro could provide all of the backup so why even use storage since it is very expensive?

[combactu]

Awesome video, thank you, I've learned a lot ! I just think the transition slides don't need a sound effect, it distracts too much for the course.

[mathewbayne]

The "danger" of nuclear energy is really exaggerated. Nuclear technology and safety practices has improved immensely since Chernobyl. Also breeder reactors and decommissioning of nuclear weapons are and will continue to be a great source of nuclear fuel. Nuclear energy is the safest and space efficient clean energy that we need to better utilize. Thank you for pointing out the death rate per energy source at 9:42

[carlborgen]

I found this surprisingly informative and balanced. Well done.

[wattisup]

Living in Africa has changed my mind on renewables forever due to the amount of environmental destruction occurring to get cobalt and lithium for batteries. It made me realize that nuclear is the way of the future.

[roxiewatters]

*"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago and the next best time is now"*

[VinnieGer]

Man, with the way nuclear energy was being demonized, I expected way more deaths and hazards.

[SofiaMachadoChannel]

I am really sorry for being this person, but am I the only one who is getting annoyed with the slide transition sound? I don't know, maybe a background music would resolve it?
Nonetheless, love your videos and happy new year! ☺️

[lars_larsen]

Great series!
I think re-foresting and re-wilding as much land as possible is probably the best carbon-capture technology we'll have available, in part because it will have a variety of other environmental benefits. That would make nuclear power the best power source because it gives the most MWh per square metre, while also being among the safest and cleanest ways to generate power.

[michaelmcquay]

A lot of people are saying how bad mining for lithium is, but they don't take into consideration of fracking (mining for oil) and the emissions that fossil fuel gives off. You have to weigh the damage that fossil fuels have already done to the planet and are still doing. So mining for lithium did nowhere near as much damage nor will it ever. Nuclear power is good but very dangerous, risky, and can be very harmful to the environment. Sometimes a little bad can do a lot of good.

[EvdogMusic]

4:56-5:19
As Grid Energy Storage becomes more and more advanced, this will become less and less of an issue.

[ilistencanada]

This episode was very informative, thank you!

[ahronrichards]

Nice episode! It pointed out the advantages and disadvantages of the means by which electricity is made. And it goes to show that there isn't just one way to make electricity through renewable means. But we can never phase out completely fossil fuels. So if we try to find a balance between the two then that might just be the sweet spot.

[lizbethstringer]

Was waiting for a discussion of the need for better batteries to hold on to the electricity created during peak sun/wind times as well as a need for better infrastructure to transfer the electricity from areas of generation to areas of consumption, I guess I will have to watch the next episode and see what the discussion is....

This is a well needed Crash Course. Thank you.

[soaringAnn]

Great overview, thanks! Surely more to mention, but gives a good glimpse and direction for further research