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USA: Republicans don’t believe in climate change, (except as promotion for nuclear)

Why the GOP loves nuclear

Rose`Law group 13 ov 09 From The New Republic

Nukes, nukes, and … nukes. These days, when it comes to energy and climate change, that seems to be all Republicans want to talk about. Throughout last week’s hearings on the Senate climate bill, Lamar Alexander kept interjecting that a massive ramp-up of nuclear power was the only real solution to global warming, bringing up the subject at every turn. For many of his colleagues, it’s one of the few energy ideas that piques any interest at all. …..

…….The party’s energy plan, released in July, calls for a whopping 100 new reactors built by 2030. That’s twice as many as even the most optimistic industry forecasts envision, and, given that the plants are estimated to cost at least $6-$10 billion a pop and have difficulty attracting private investment, they would likely need hefty subsidies–something the right is supposed to frown at. “For reasons I don’t fully understand,” says Joe Romm of the Center for American Progress, “nuclear power has a magical place in the hearts of conservatives.”…….

……Of the handful of Republicans who think global warming is a serious problem–like Alexander–most refuse to address it unless nuclear power gets a starring role.

But many Democrats and green groups are loath to lavish even more money on an industry that has received countless subsidies to date–including $18.5 billion in federal loan guarantees in 2005–yet still struggles to procure financing for new plants, to say nothing of concerns about safety and waste disposal.

November 13, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change, politics, USA | antinuclear, Copenhagen, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin