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America losing the chance to switch from nuclear power to renewables

The U.S. is obviously not going to build many new nuclear plants — but time is running out for us to jump on the clean-energy bandwagon.”….

Why They Don’t — and Can’t — Get It Right HUFFINGTON POST Carl Pope,  05/17/11 ….pattern of obviously foolish risks reflects the behavior of not just one company but of many — it’s simply how the nuclear industry operates.

And the industry clearly doesn’t want more effective oversight. In 1998, Senator Pete Domenici threatened to cut the NRC’s budget because it was regulating too stringently. The budget cuts didn’t occur, but the message was received. Shirley Ann Jackson, then chairwoman of the commission, told her staff that they were to listen to the industry message: “That we are inefficient, that we over-regulate, that we inspect too much, assess too much, enforce too much, take too long on licensing actions and employ an overly restrictive body of regulation.”

Contrast this record with how airlines react when something goes wrong with a plane. Fleets are immediately grounded, inspections are rigorous, regulatory oversight intense, government investigations far-reaching. Yet the number of people put at risk by even a severe aviation accident is a fraction of those whose lives could be destroyed by even a partial nuclear meltdown……

Having lost Germany and Japan, nuclear advocates are now saying, “Well, India and China are going ahead.” So far, that’s true. But we do not measure the safety of our drinking water by comparing it to Calcutta’s, nor would we accept air quality like Beijing’s. More importantly, China (and now Japan) are joining Europe in investing in the renewables revolution. Almost certainly those investments mean that, before long, nuclear will no longer be a low-cost option for even Asia’s most rapidly growing electricity markets. The U.S. is obviously not going to build many new nuclear plants — but time is running out for us to jump on the clean-energy bandwagon.

Carl Pope: Why They Don’t — and Can’t — Get It Right

May 19, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general