nuclear-news

No nukes or coal for clean energy future

David K eppel March 1, 2009 The Utilities and Energy Committee of the Indiana Senate is considering a bill that would include so-called “clean coal” and nuclear power in a Renewable Energy Standard.

Public relations campaigns notwithstanding, coal is not clean, and nuclear is not safe. Carbon capture and sequestration technology is uncertain. Carbon capture will reduce the power output of a coal plant, and it does nothing to address the environmental devastation of coal mining. With nuclear power, the issue of long-term disposal of nuclear waste remains unsolved. The transport of nuclear fuel and waste involves risks of theft and terrorism, and a nuclear plant itself is a potential terrorist target. Unlike wind and solar, neither coal plants nor uranium-based nuclear reactors are renewable energy. Breeder nuclear reactors would invite weapons proliferation.

The point of a Renewable Energy Standard is to facilitate widespread adoption of truly clean technologies such as wind, solar and geothermal. Wider use will make them cheaper, as manufacturers achieve economies of scale.

Scientists tell us we must reduce carbon emissions by 25 percent to 40 percent compared to 1990 levels by 2020 to avoid a climate catastrophe. Coal and nuclear would be a fatal distraction from this task.

March 2, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | ENERGY, USA