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8. Nuclear Power is a Problem, not a Solution to Climate Change
Read a succinct list of reasons why nuclear power is not the answer to climate change:
Download: www.nirs.org/factsheets....pdf
Also read ‘No Solution To Climate Change’: Download: www.melbourne.foe.org.au....pdf
A. 25 Nuclear Power Plants and Rising Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The nuclear report released by the Prime Minister on 29 December 2006, recommended 25 nuclear power plants by 2050. The draft report said that this would result in an 18% reduction in Australia's greenhouse gas emissions, but the final report revised this down to 17%. However, the 17% reduction is relative to Business-As-Usual emissions in 2050, not emission levels in 1990 (the Kyoto Protocol base year).
Even with 25 nuclear power plants, greenhouse gas emissions will rise by a massive 70% by 2050. Not only will nuclear power not dramatically cut Australia's greenhouse gas emissions; it will also leave countless future generations of Australians with a deadly legacy of toxic nuclear waste.
B. Practical, Safe, Nuclear-Free Solutions
Read a report by The Wilderness Society entitled Nuclear Free Solutions to Climate Change. The report shows how key European countries are rejecting nuclear power and pursuing major reductions in greenhouse gases at the same time. Germany, for example, is phasing out nuclear power by 2020 and has a goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by -21% by 2008-2012. Germany also has a policy to reduce its own emissions by 40% by 2020, if the European Union reduces its emissions by 30% by 2020. Read the TWS report at: http://www.wilderness.org.au/downloads/...
Read a report by the UK Sustainable Development Commission which shows that the UK can reduce its CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050 - Prime Minister Blair’s target – whilst phasing out nuclear power: Source: www.sd-commission.org.uk/...
Read a report which shows how Australian can reduce its CO2 emissions by 40% from the electricity
sector by 2030, without nuclear power, according to AGL,
Frontier Economics and WWF.
Source: wwf.org.au/news/...
Globally, deforestation accounts for 10-25% of man-made greenhouse gas
emissions. Stopping deforestation (much of it illegal) and re-foresting
key areas would result in major greenhouse savings globally.
Download: unfccc.int/resource....pdf.
All the key energy efficiency and renewable technologies – wind, solar,
wave, tidal and appropriate biomass and hydro – have far shorter
timelines for implementation than nuclear. Nuclear power reactors take
at least 10 years to build yet gas-fired plants can be built in 3 years
and renewables in 1-3. Energy efficiency can be implemented as soon as
an energy audit is done, with major savings.
Five important solutions in Australia for a safer climate are:
- Ratify the Kyoto Protocol so Australia is playing its part in a global solution
- Implement national targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: 30% by 2020 and 80% by 2050
- Introduce a price on carbon pollution so that polluter have to pay
- Introduce national targets and programs for renewable energy and energy efficiency
- End broad-scale land clearing and logging of high conservation value native forests and improvement management and conservation of native vegetation
