Nuclear Power and Global Warming

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The world’s existing 440 nuclear reactors produce less than 5% of total world energy use. To have any significant impact on global greenhouse emissions, hundreds of new reactors would need to be built. They would take decades to complete, by which time, global warming will be beyond control.

Scientists agree that greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by 70% by 2050. Even doubling our nuclear output by 2050 would only reduce greenhouse emission by 5%.

Reactor typically const several BILLION dollars each to build (e.g. the Comanche Peak twin reactor in Texas cost US$9.1 billion). To build hundreds of new reactors would cost hundreds of billions of dollars. The same amount of money required to build one nuclear reactor could be spent on renewable energies programs, produce more energy, more jobs and NO radioactive waste.

Energy efficiency improvements deliver seven times greater reductions in greenhouse emissions per dollar spent compared to nuclear power. In countries like the USA, the world’s largest energy consumer and greenhouse polluter, there is enormous scope for reducing energy use, waste and greenhouse gas emissions. This can be done NOW at relatively little cost, and without any need for expensive, dirty and dangerous nuclear reactors.

Studies have shown that the current known global reserves of uranium will last 50 years at the current level of usage. If all power generation were converted to nuclear, these reserves would only last at most 10 years. Addressing global warming needs long-term, sustainable alternatives and nuclear power is an illusory quick-fix option.

Nuclear reactors have so far produced a toxic global pile of 250,000 tonnes of high level radioactive waste. 50 years of the nuclear industry and there is still no safe, long term management solution to radioactive waste. A 2004 report from the pro-nuclear International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA) says just to manage existing radioactive waste in UK, China, Russia and USA will cost one trillion dollars ($US). More reactors mean more and more radioactive waste. Nuclear reactors have also been responsible for the release of large amounts of radioactivity into local environments. For example, one reactor in Illinois, US has released 6 million litres of tritium-contaminated water into the local environment contaminating groundwater relied upon by locals for household use and horticulture.

Australia's precious water resources are exploited by the nuclear industry in the for ofuranium mining. This mine currently uses 33 million litres of water form the Great Artesian Basin every day for free!. The Roxby Downes mine is a shocking example of this. Greater water extraction is part of BHP Billiton’s plans for a $5 billion expansion. The company expansion will see the company extract an additional 120 million litres of publicly-owned artesian water per day, every day, for the next 70 years.

The nuclear industry produces large amounts of greenhouse gases throughout the nuclear fuel chain. This occurs during uranium mining and processing, transport of radioactive materials, reactor construction and dismantling, and waste management.

Globally, every aspect of the nuclear industry (uranium mining, reactor, waste management and nuclear weapons) has proven to be destructive of the environment, communities and democratic processes. Pollution, secrecy, cover-ups and massive subsidies underpin the global nuclear industry.

At least 20 countries are known to have used the ‘peaceful’ nuclear facilities for weapons research and/or production. The whole planet is threatened by nuclear weapons and missing nuclear material. Terrorists can target reactors and other nuclear facilities to cause a nuclear catastrophe, to target various stages f the nuclear cycle and acquire radioactive material for bombs.

Clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency measures work. and they are ready now.