Nuclear power; what an awful answer.

Someone somewhere has a question to which the answer is nuclear power. That question is not "name a useful solution to climate change".

I`ve posted a few times about nucelar power on this blog, perhaps i shouldnt have. This is meant to be a climate change blog. However, a lot of people seem to be pushing this problem as a solution.

The cost of this problem is futher highlighted in a recent article, after reading that perhaps you can answer the question as to why exactly we are looking at this old and costly technology at the same time as renewable energies are growing in diversity and diminishing in price.

• Nuclear power.
  

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Energy Futures

As New Labour unveil their plan to achieve emissions reductions only 60% less than everyone else thinks is necessary, and even the World Economic Forum ask for 50% cuts and a firm legislative framework, our glorious leader heads for Jeddah to ask for some of the uber-profits to be ploughed into wind, wave and nuke back home. Just don't try enriching your own uranium, guys. That's not for the likes of you! But have some more jets, to be going on with.

Isn't it distractingly comfy to think that the Saudi oil supremo was once a shepherd boy? Sounds like a bad film.

Sorry it's all Grauniad today. Just the way it crumbled.

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Amory Lovins on Nuclear Power

In the wake of Gordon Brown's recent announcement on plans for new nuclear power in the UK there is a lively discussion about nuclear power, very liveley and very poorly informed for the most part.

In the video clip Amory Lovins, inernational energy policy guru takes nuclear to task.



Lovins has recently co-authored a report on nuclear power (pdf).

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tWP75: The Carbon Taxman

The latest episode of TheWatt Podcast is out now. (30MB, MP3)

Panel discussion podcast with Mark Seall, Rod Adams, Robb Worthington and Ben. Topics include carbon taxes vs cap-and-trade policies, OECD Environmental Outlook, nuclear power in the UK, carbon limits on cars in the EU, $106/bbl oil.

Panelists:

Mark Seall - Talk Climate Change and Green Options

Rod Adams - The Atomic Show Podcast and Atomic Insights

Robb Worthington - Sustainable Living

Ben Kenney - theWatt

Topics/Show Notes:

A good carbon tax/cap-and-trade discussion

2008 OECD Environmental
Outlook - How much will it cost to address today's key environmental problems?

Showdown between France and Germany: Carbon emission limits on cars in
the EU

UK 'to seek more nuclear power',

Nobel winner: Nuke power
must be part of the equation

Oil prices/OPEC giving Bush some tough love

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Climate Change is A Problem...So We Need Nuclear Power?

The UK government has talked tough and done little on climate change. Now it seems determined to ramrod through a new generation of nuclear power plants, does this mean that it is finally getting serious or that it continues to ignore the advice of energy analysts on how we can affordably build a low carbon energy system in the UK?

Nuclear power is such an emotive topic that it is very difficult to find information that you can trust. It seems likely to me that Greenpeace and other environmental groups would be dead against it from the start, it also seems obvious that the nuclear power industry would be funding it's own research with its own frames for reference.

Perhaps the business community and academia can be of assistance, particularly those concerned with energy policy and therefore independent, rather than those doing nuclear power research and therefore often funded by nuclear power industries.

In this video Warwick Business School host a discussion of nuclear power, government climate policy and the UK energy system.




Further Reading:

Sustainable Deelopment Commission:
Position Paper + Various Bakground Papers on Crucuial Points in the Debate

Tyndall Centre
2050 Energy Scenarios + Govornment Policy Critique

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