nuclear-news

Nuclear power is the most pressing global issue

Nuclear Power Decisions Will Determine Much. Climate Progress Craig Severance 15 March 2010, Though nuclear power may seem a limited issue — related only to energy, and only one of several energy sources at that – the decision whether to pursue nuclear power may prove to be the most important decision now before world leaders. Consider the following:
Capital Needs. Expanding nuclear power requires enormous amounts of capital,……
Climate Change. Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute has said for many years that the pursuit of nuclear power will make climate change worse – because adopting it as a climate protection strategy simply won’t work.  It will be too expensive and too slow to get the job done. ……
Employment. …….  Investments in efficiency and renewables will create more jobs than investing in new nuclear power plants……
Economic Dependence . ……. Nuclear power won’t help most countries become energy independent,  because only a handful of nations in the world possess significant uranium resources.  Nuclear power is actually just another form of imported energy…..
Military Security. America and the EU nations have invested major military resources to protect access to imported oil.  Nuclear power does little or nothing to reduce oil dependence to lessen the need for the military resources devoted to oil.  Far worse, however, is that nuclear power creates stark new military security threats of its own ….. The nuclear industry argues that any nation or terrorist does not need a nuclear power plant to make a bomb,  they just need uranium enrichment.  This is true.  However, the only “legitimate” reason to enrich uranium is to use it in a nuclear power plant. The continued promotion and sale worldwide of “civilian” nuclear reactors thus gives nations the excuse to operate uranium enrichment programs, as we have seen in Iran…….
Terrorists are not deterred by Mutually Assured Destruction as are nuclear states….the continued sale and use of nuclear power plants may allow those intent on creating such horrendous destruction to gain access to exactly the  materials they need….
Nuclear Power Makes No Business Sense …..Free market economies eventually pick winners and losers. There are clear indications the financial markets have already picked new nuclear power as a loser. …

should the U.S. really be leading the way in throwing taxpayer monies at an industry without asking the right questions?

Severance: Nuclear Power Makes No Business Sense « Climate Progress

March 17, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, energy efficiency, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation, uranium