----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Randal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Newsgroups: gmane.science.general.global-change To: "globalchange" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, December 28, 2007 1:49 PM Subject: [Global Change: 2313] Re: Public Awareness of Energy Issues
> > My own reading of publicly available IAEA data is that nuclear > electricity cannot make anything other than a token difference, and > that the resources wasted following the nuclear path could be better > used elsewhere. Citation, please? The idea that nuclear can only make a token difference is a contrived argument that rests on the qualification "in the next 50 years". Almost anything you care to name (within reason) can only make a token contribution (to CO2 emission reduction) in the next 50 years. Voluntary human extinction could make a big difference, but that is not within reason. If you look over the next 100 years you can see why nuclear power is a necessary (but not sufficient) condition to stabilize atmospheric GHG concentrations - even the least nuclear intensive IPCC stabilization scenario calls for a six-fold increase over the next 100 years. You also speak of "resources wasted" following the nuclear path, but in reality, the nuclear path generates resources (electricity) with less waste than the closest substitute (coal combustion). If you believe that financial resources generated by a coal tax, for example, could be put to better (emission control) use than financing new nuclear power plant construction, please elaborate on what alternatives you belive could "make anything other than a token difference" over the next 50 or 100 years. > > There seems to be a complete lack of consideration of these moral and > ethical issues by today's nuclear proponents. > > When the pro-nuke brigade starts earnestly and seriously discussing > Weinberg's "Faustian Bargain" I'll start to take them seriously. > > But not until then. > > Phil > You have to look at what proponents write in order to determine whether or not they consider the moral and ethical issues. Weinberg's concerns with safety culture in the nuclear power industry and intergenerational communication in "deep time" are both discussed earnestly and seriously in Cravens' book, please have a look at it. http://cravenspowertosavetheworld.com/ And while we're on the subject of moral and ethical issues, please do not ignore the impact of coal extraction, combustion, and waste on human health and the environment. Thanks, -dl --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups Global Change ("globalchange") newsgroup. Global Change is a public, moderated venue for discussion of science, technology, economics and policy dimensions of global environmental change. Posts will be admitted to the list if and only if any moderator finds the submission to be constructive and/or interesting, on topic, and not gratuitously rude. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/globalchange -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
