Question

The town of Seaside needs to build a new power plant. The old coal burning plant produces too much pollution and is no longer safe. The mayor decides that he will do some research on alternative forms of energy like nuclear power plants and solar power plants.
What types of resources should the mayor use to conduct his research? Why would these be considered reliable sources of information and why? What types of resources are reliable? How can he use what he learns to make the best decision for the town?

Answer 1

The mayor is making a good decision to do research into renewable forms of energy. Not only does coal produce pollution, it also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, the supply of coal is a finite source. It is considered a natural resource instead of renewable. That means that eventually the supply of coal will run out at some point. Renewables do not encounter such a problem.

So it's smart to look into alternative forms of energy such as nuclear or solar. The benefit of nuclear is that it produces a lot of energy and does so efficiently. The downside is that it's that accidents would lead to disastrous outcomes (eg: the nuclear disaster in Japan). Also, there's the issue of what to do with the nuclear waste. The waste itself is very dangerous and it must be buried underground sealed in thick containers. This is an expensive operation. The rate of decay of the material takes a long time, which means that future generations hundreds of years down the line will have to deal with the waste.

Solar is a cleaner alternative to nuclear, but unfortunately it is not as efficient compared to nuclear power. You need a lot of solar panels in a vast open area to be able to get the energy to power many homes. Places out in the desert are a good choice to put the solar farms because the sun shines intensely there and not many people (or no people) live out in remote areas such as that one.

Because the town is called Seaside, it seems like this town is on the coast. If so, then the mayor should look into wind power to complement solar power. Wind along the coast is often very intense due to the sea current and jet stream. The downside to wind power is that some days the wind doesn't blow at all. The mayor could also look into tidal power which harnesses the flow of the tides coming in and out. If a major river is nearby (that flows into the ocean) then s/he could consider hydroelectric power as well. There are many renewable options to pick from. Each option has its pros and cons, so it's up to the mayor to weigh what exactly their needs are and how efficiently they want electricity. Mixing various options is possibly the best idea since you get a bit of each pro/con from all the options mentioned.