Archive:000/Energy/How to meet the demand

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.