Is Nuclear Energy the Solution

Authors: Milton H Saier Jack T Trevors

Publish Date: 2009/12/19

Volume: 208, Issue: 1-4, Pages: 1-3

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Abstract

On October 29th 2009 one of us MHS attended a lecture on “Nuclear Responsibility” on the University of California San Diego campus The speaker was Rochelle Becker Executive Director of the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility The information presented was both revealing and upsetting and is documented extensively in a pamphlet entitled “Why a Future for the Nuclear Industry Is Risky” These sources emphasized the problems that exist especially in the USA This editorial is based on these sourcesWe should all know that first investments in nuclear power are risky as indicated by the fact that Wall Street has chosen to stay clear second nuclear power plants are stated terrorist targets and carry serious risks of their own third nuclear power will not reduce our dependencies on foreign energy as is sometimes claimed fourth nucleargenerated electricity does not compare favorably with electricity derived from either the combustion of fossil fuels or renewable sources such as wind solar geothermal wave and tide and finally there is currently no good means of nuclear waste disposal hence more environmental pollutionPromises of improved safety and performance are coupled with billions of dollars of subsidies Nevertheless claims that nuclear power is a necessary energy source for displacing greenhouse gases has not convinced investors Wall Street is flat out not investing in new nuclear power plants because they do not believe that they will be safe profitable investments In fact as things stand new nuclear power plants will not be cost competitive with other electricitygenerating alternatives For example wind power and other renewable technologies combined with energy efficiency and conservation can be more cost effective and can be deployed much sooner than new nuclear power plants Building expensive nuclear plants will divert private and public investment from the cheaper and readily available renewable and energy efficiency options needed to protect our climate and humanityIn competitive markets new nuclear power plants will be bad investments By contrast worldwide private equity and venture capital investments in clean energy continue to grow Worldwide annual investments in renewable energy capacity are now over 50 billion US dollars and renewable energy markets continue to grow

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