The fact that the energy density of fuels, and the power density of their extraction, determine their environmental impact should be taught in every environmental studies class. Unfortunately, it is not. There is a psychological and ideological reason: the romantic appeal-to-nature fallacy, where people imagine renewables are more natural than fossil fuels and uranium, and that what’s natural is better for the environment. Just as people imagined “natural” products from tortoiseshell and ivory to wild salmon and pasture beef are better than “artificial” alternatives, people imagine that
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