“No nukes! No nukes!
Well, ok. But only the good kind.”
It’s true. Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore has reversed his 30+ year old position on nuclear power, saying that this is the only viable solution to weaning the US off its 60% energy dependency on coal. Did you even know the US is still burning billions of tons of coal every year? Well, where did you think the mercury in all your seafood is coming from?
From his Washington Post article:
“The 600-plus coal-fired plants emit nearly 2 billion tons of CO2 annually — the equivalent of the exhaust from about 300 million automobiles. In addition, the Clean Air Council reports that coal plants are responsible for 64 percent of sulfur dioxide emissions, 26 percent of nitrous oxides and 33 percent of mercury emissions. These pollutants are eroding the health of our environment, producing acid rain, smog, respiratory illness and mercury contamination.
Meanwhile, the 103 nuclear plants operating in the United States effectively avoid the release of 700 million tons of CO2emissions annually — the equivalent of the exhaust from more than 100 million automobiles. Imagine if the ratio of coal to nuclear were reversed so that only 20 percent of our electricity was generated from coal and 60 percent from nuclear. This would go a long way toward cleaning the air and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Every responsible environmentalist should support a move in that direction.”
pmoore@greenspirit.com
Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace, is chairman and chief scientist of Greenspirit Strategies Ltd. He and Christine Todd Whitman are co-chairs of a new industry-funded initiative, the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition, which supports increased use of nuclear energy.
Just goes to show you things are rarely black and white in this world. Kudos to Patrick Moore for being able to think outside the box. Although nuclear power opens up a new can of worms!
COMMENT:
True, but Japan already has a program that uses non-weaponized uranium (still bound with plutonium) and several countries already have consciencious recycling programs for nuclear material. I foresee a system of responsible usage followed perhaps by routine ejecting of waste clear off the planet’s surface. The sun, after all, would hardly notice a little more fuel.
I think any risks (after all the extensive safety measures) are outweighed by the obvious very large scale benefits of eliminating coal from our energy diet.