科技能解决资源短缺问题吗？

近来科技快速进步，新的太阳能电池以及核反应堆设计方案等接连出现，已经改变了传统环保主义的观念。

上周一，在加州卡尔斯巴德市召开的财富能源头脑风暴大会上，几位顶尖的能源和商界领袖在一场论坛里谈到这个话题。

长期以来，传统环保主义者一直呼吁减少能源和水资源消费，以更好地保护全球资源。然而，一些现代环保主义者认为，技术已经提高人类采集资源的效率，降低资源消费的必要性有所下降，特别是能源消费。

能源研究机构the Breakthrough Institute联合创始人迈克尔•谢伦伯格指出，限制能源消费的提法源于20世纪70年代，已经不太适应当今时代。谢伦伯格非常支持重新启用核能，他相信核能安全性已经够高，可以扩大应用范围而且能充分满足全世界的能源需求。

谢伦伯格在本次大会上介绍了自己新成立的研究和政策机构Environmental Progress，工作内容包括倡议不要关停核电站，重新启用已关闭的核反应堆，以及全球范围推动建设新核电站。

Environmental Progress在网站上还表示，希望提高贫穷国家电力消费水平，因为在某些农村地区，许多人“仍将木头和动物粪便作为主要能源”。

谢伦伯格计划本周四赴白宫讨论维持核电站运行的问题。最近，他联合他人致信美国总统奥巴马，解释为什么他和其他科学家以及自然资源环保者认为，关停核电站不利于环保工作。

谢伦伯格在信中指出，核电站关闭后，取而代之的往往是天然气发电厂，结果“多出的碳排放量相当于路上多了300万辆汽车”。在他看来，虽然核能受到诸多批评，但仍是最廉价、最高效的能源。

举例来说，环保组织Sierra Club反对核能的理由是核能很危险，而且产生了太多的核废料。但谢伦伯格相信，比起太阳能，核能仍是更好的可替代能源，如果太阳能及电池技术持续进步而且更加廉价，他或许会改变态度。

谢伦伯格说：“如果能研究出比核能便宜的超级太阳能和电池，我就支持你们。”（财富中文网）

译者：Charlie

审校：夏林

Recent and rapid advancements in technology, including new batteries for storing solar energy and new nuclear reactor designs, have changed the notion of traditional environmentalism.

That’s one of the themes discussed during a panel of leading energy and business experts speaking atFortune’s Brainstorm E conference held in Carlsbad, Calif. on Monday.

Traditional environmentalists have long advocated the need to reduce energy and water consumption to better preserve the world’s resources. But some modern environmentalists argue that technology has enabled mankind to gather resources more efficiently than before, which offsets some of the need to cut back on the amount of resources they consume, specifically energy.

Michael Shellenberger, who co-founded the energy research group the Breakthrough Institute, explained that the idea of limiting energy consumption comes from the 1970s and is less relevant in the today’s era. In particular, Shellenberger is interested in the reviving nuclear power, which he believes is safe enough to be used on a larger scale and can generate enough energy to keep the world satiated.

Shellenberger announced his new research and policy group, Environmental Progress, during Brainstorm E. Part of his new group’s agenda includes advocating to stop nuclear plants from closing, reopen closed nuclear plants, and increase the number of nuclear plants being developed throughout the world.

Environmental Progress also wants to see more electricity being used in poor nations, because in some rural areas, many people “still rely on wood and dung as their primary energy,” according to the group’s website.

Shellenberger plans to visit the White House on Thursday to talk about keeping nuclear plants operating. Recently, he co-wrote a letter to President Obama about why he and other scientists and conservationists believe that closing nuclear plants undermines the president’s environmental work.

In the letter, Shellenberger argued that when nuclear plants close, they are often replaced with natural gas-fueled power plants that result in “additional carbon emissions equivalent to putting three million new cars on the road.” In his view, nuclear energy is the cheapest and most efficient means of energy available, although the technology has many critics.

The environmental organization Sierra Club, for example, is opposed to nuclear power, which the group believes is dangerous and creates too much nuclear waste. Still, Shellenberger believes that for now, nuclear power is a better alternative than solar power, although if solar and battery technology continue to advance and get cheaper, he may change his tune.

“If we have amazing solar and batteries that are cheaper than nuclear I’ll be right with you,” Shellenberger said.