We have been wasting the 'free energy' of nuclear 'waste' for decades. Nuke waste still produces heat, which is energy. It COULD be harnessed, not buried.
Oil and coal are not nearly as polluting as they used to be, and not nearly so much as the Green Weenies tell us. Unless you are in China and India - they are technically where we were thirty years ago. We need to get THEM caught up on pollution reducing tech.
I agree we need more use of our own oil, and less from abroad, especially the Sandland. Get us off the Arab Oil Teat. We have the technology, but not yet the collective will. We haven't built or seriously upgraded our refineries since the 1970's - this is a crime. We can do better.
The various alternative energies are limited. They will augment oil but not replace it for a long time to come. It's simply a matter of BTUS per equivalent units of product, cost of extraction/manufacture/shipping, and political realities. Solar and wind are great, but as augments. Useless if the local weather conditions do not co-operate.
I am still hoping for a breakthrough in Cold Fusion for powering large cities, but that is having problems itself.
Science marches on, and the tech keeps improving, but we must not embrace pie-in-the-sky new-tech without making darned sure it does the job. I have seen too often the glitzy new stuff fail miserably while the working old-tech was already removed from the game. Waste and other costs were enormous.
But one thing is ever true of Mankind - we NEVER learn from history.
