nuclear-news

No need for nuclear – UK Greens spell it out

analysis using the government’s figures shows that we don’t need nuclear power to meet climate goals and keep the lights on.

with the energy bill set to deliver a backdoor subsidy for nuclear, truly sustainable renewables like wind, solar, waste digestion, wave and tidal are in danger of being sidelined once again

We don’t need nuclear power to meet climate goals and keep the lights on, Guardian UK, Natalie Bennett and Caroline Lucas by Caroline Lucas  8 February 2013  It would be a folly to think that there is no hope of tackling climate change without nuclear power Making the case for new nuclear this week, George Monbiot admitted that, what with the proposed nuclear waste dump in Cumbria being rejected and Centrica pulling out of new nuclear in the UK, the facts are not exactly working in his favour. But his argument raised two crucial questions.

First, what is actually happening as a result of Germany’s nuclear phase-out? Is Angela Merkel now barrelling down a catastrophic, high-carboncoal path, or is the reality more complex?…….

, since the country’s decision to phase out nuclear, no new coal plants have been proposed and some have even been cancelled. So it is a massive oversimplification to state that Germany’s decision to go nuclear free means more reliance on coal – either now or in the future.

The German government has made clear that it remains committed to its carbon reduction and renewable energy targets – which are more ambitious than ours – and are driving investment and creating jobs in the sector.

The renewables sector in Germany is significant, already providing 25% of electricity and resulting in lower market prices. Crucially, a recent study by the German engineering association VDE found that Germany’s switch to renewables could “obliterate” the need for baseload power from coal and nuclear altogether.

Second, is there really no hope of tackling climate change withou tnuclear power? This is certainly what the nuclear industry wants us all to think. But analysis using the government’s figures shows that we don’t need nuclear power to meet climate goals and keep the lights on.

Renewable energies, together with combined heat and power, energy efficiency, smart grids, demand management and interconnection, are the building blocks of an alternative energy future. The path we take is a matter of political choice, not technological inevitability…… mportantly, we also need to stop subsidising the fossil fuel industry. Coal, oil and gas have enjoyed decades of support that the renewables sector can only dream of.

And with the energy bill set to deliver a backdoor subsidy for nuclear, truly sustainable renewables like wind, solar, waste digestion, wave and tidal are in danger of being sidelined once again. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2013/feb/08/nuclear-power-climate-change

February 9, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general