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Pro-nuclear movement

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There are large variations in people's understanding of the issues surrounding nuclear power, including the technology itself, climate change mitigation, and energy security. Proponents of nuclear energy contend that nuclear power is a sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions and increases energy security by decreasing dependence on imported energy sources. Opponents believe that nuclear power poses many threats to people and the environment. While nuclear power has historically been opposed by many environmentalist organisations, some support it, as do some scientists.

Context

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See also: Nuclear power debate and Nuclear energy policy
During a two-day symposium on "Atomic Power in Australia" at the New South Wales University of Technology, Sydney, which began on 31 August 1954, Marcus Oliphant (left), Homi Jehangir Bhabha (centre) and Philip Baxter, share a cup of tea

Nuclear energy is often considered to be a controversial area of public policy.[1][2] The debate about nuclear power peaked during the 1970s and 1980s, when it "reached an intensity unprecedented in the history of technology controversies", in some countries.[3][4]

Proponents of nuclear energy point to the fact that nuclear power produces very little conventional air pollution, greenhouse gases, and smog, in contrast to fossil fuel sources of energy.[5] Proponents also argue that perceived risks of storing waste are exaggerated, and point to an operational safety record in the Western world which is excellent in comparison to the other major kinds of power plants.[6] Historically, there have been numerous proponents of nuclear energy, including Georges Charpak, Glenn T. Seaborg, Edward Teller, Alvin M. Weinberg, Eugene Wigner, Ted Taylor, and Jeff Eerkens. There are also scientists who write favorably about nuclear energy in terms of the broader energy landscape, including Robert B. Laughlin, Michael McElroy, and Vaclav Smil. In particular, Laughlin writes in "Powering the Future" (2011) that expanded use of nuclear power will be nearly inevitable, either because of a political choice to leave fossil fuels in the ground, or because fossil fuels become depleted.

Lobbying and public relations activities

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Main article: List of companies in the nuclear sector

Globally, there are dozens of companies with an interest in the nuclear industry, including Areva, BHP, Cameco, China National Nuclear Corporation, EDF, Iberdrola, Nuclear Power Corporation of India, Ontario Power Generation, Rosatom, Tokyo Electric Power Company, and Vattenfall. Many of these companies lobby politicians and others about nuclear power expansion, undertake public relation activities, petition government authorities, as well as influence public policy through referendum campaigns and involvement in elections.[7][8][9][10][11]

The nuclear industry has "tried a variety of strategies to persuade the public to accept nuclear power", including the publication of numerous "fact sheets" that discuss issues of public concern.[12] Nuclear proponents have worked to boost public support by offering newer, safer, reactor designs. These designs include those that incorporate passive safety and Small Modular Reactors.

Since 2000 the nuclear industry has undertaken an international media and lobbying campaign to promote nuclear power as a solution to the greenhouse effect and climate change. Though reactor operation is free of carbon dioxide emissions, other stages of the nuclear fuel chain – from uranium mining, to reactor decommissioning and radioactive waste management – use fossil fuels and hence emit carbon dioxide.

The Nuclear Energy Institute has formed various sub-groups to promote nuclear power. These include the Washington-based Clean and Safe Energy Coalition, which was formed in 2006 and led by Patrick Moore. Christine Todd Whitman, former head of the USEPA has also been involved. Clean Energy America is another group also sponsored by the NEI.[13]

In Britain, James Lovelock well known for his Gaia Hypothesis began to support nuclear power in 2004. He is patron of the Supporters of Nuclear Energy. SONE also recognise that there are serious technical challenges associated with an electric grid reliant on intermittent and low density sources of energy. The main nuclear lobby group in Britain is FORATOM.[13]

As of 2014, the U.S. nuclear industry has begun a new lobbying effort, hiring three former senators — Evan Bayh, a Democrat; Judd Gregg, a Republican; and Spencer Abraham, a Republican — as well as William M. Daley, a former staffer to President Obama. The initiative is called Nuclear Matters, and it has begun a newspaper advertising campaign.[14]

Organizations supporting nuclear power

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In March 2017, a bipartisan group of eight senators, including five Republicans and three Democrats introduced S. 512, the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA). The legislation would help to modernize the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), support the advancement of the nation's nuclear industry and develop the regulatory framework to enable the licensing of advanced nuclear reactors, while improving the efficiency of uranium regulation. Letters of support for this legislation were provided by thirty-six organizations, including for profit enterprises, non-profit organizations and educational institutions. The most prominent entities from that group and other well-known organizations actively supporting the continued or expanded use of nuclear power as a solution for providing clean, reliable energy include:

The United States generates about 19% of its electricity from nuclear power plants. Nearly 60% of all clean energy generated in the U.S. comes from nuclear power.[citation needed] Studies have shown that closing a nuclear power plant results in greatly increased carbon emissions as only burning coal or natural gas can make up for the massive amount of energy lost from a nuclear power plant.[citation needed] Even though there have long been protests against nuclear power, the effect of long-term scrutiny has elevated safety within the industry, making nuclear power the safest form of energy in operation today, despite the fact that many continue to fear it.[citation needed] Nuclear power plants create thousands of jobs, many in health and safety jobs, and seldom experience protests from area residents, as they bring large amounts of economic activity, attract educated employees and leave the air clear safe, unlike oil, coal or gas plants, which bring disease and environmental damage to their workers and neighbors.[citation needed] Nuclear engineers have traditionally worked, directly or indirectly, in the nuclear power industry, in academia or for national laboratories. More recently, young nuclear engineers have started to innovate and launch new companies, becoming entrepreneurs in order to bring their enthusiasm for using the power of the atom to address the climate crisis. As of June 2015, Third Way released a report identifying 48 nuclear start-ups or projects organized to work on nuclear innovations in what is being called "advanced nuclear" designs.[21] Current research in the industry is directed at producing economical, proliferation-resistant reactor designs with passive safety features. Although government labs research the same areas as industry, they also study a myriad of other issues such as nuclear fuels and nuclear fuel cycles, advanced reactor designs, and nuclear weapon design and maintenance. A principal pipeline for trained personnel for US reactor facilities is the Navy Nuclear Power Program. The job outlook for nuclear engineering from the year 2012 to the year 2022 is predicted to grow 9% due to many elder nuclear engineers retiring, safety systems needing to be updated in power plants, and the advancements made in nuclear medicine.[22]

Individuals supporting nuclear power

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See also: Nuclear power in Australia § Advocates for nuclear power

A pragmatic need for secure energy supply is a leading reason for many to support nuclear energy. Many people, including former opponents of nuclear energy, now say that nuclear energy is necessary for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. They recognize that the threat to humanity from climate change is far worse than any risk associated with nuclear energy. Many nuclear energy supporters, but not all, acknowledge that renewable energy is also important to the effort to eliminate emissions. Early environmentalists who publicly voiced support for nuclear power include James Lovelock, originator of the Gaia hypothesis, Patrick Moore, an early member of Greenpeace and former president of Greenpeace Canada, George Monbiot and Stewart Brand, creator of the Whole Earth Catalog.[23][24] Lovelock goes further to refute claims about the danger of nuclear energy and its waste products.[25] In a January 2008 interview, Moore said that "It wasn't until after I'd left Greenpeace and the climate change issue started coming to the forefront that I started rethinking energy policy in general and realized that I had been incorrect in my analysis of nuclear as being some kind of evil plot."[26] There are increasing numbers of scientists and laymen who are environmentalists with views that depart from the mainstream environmental stance that rejects a role for nuclear power in the climate fight (once labelled "Nuclear Greens,"[27] some now consider themselves Ecomodernists).

Other academics and professionals, alarmed by the exaggerated impact media coverage of nuclear accidents have formed a group called Scientists for Accurate Radiation Information (SARI).[28] This was formed after a tsunami in Japan in 2011 caused an accidental release at Fukushima Daiichi, local people were unnecessarily relocated and psychologically stressed by false fears. This evacuation is estimated to have produced increased mortality rates equivalent to 2,313 deaths.[29] This effective suffering is known as the ‘nocebo’ effect, and describes a situation where a negative outcome occurs due to a belief that an intervention will cause harm.

Others who have spoken publicly on the benefits of nuclear power include:

Scientists

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James Edward Hansen
Prof. Barry W. Brook

Non-scientists

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Open letter signatories

Climate and energy scientists in 2013: there is no credible path to climate stabilization that does not include a substantial role for nuclear power[69][70][71][72]

Conservation biologists in 2014: to replace the burning of fossil fuels, if we are to have any chance of mitigating severe climate change […we] need to accept a substantial role for advanced nuclear power systems with complete fuel recycling[73][74][75]

The following is a list of people that signed the open letter:[76]

Future prospects

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The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, located in France, is the world's largest and most advanced experimental tokamak nuclear fusion reactor project. A collaboration between the European Union (EU), India, Japan, China, Russia, South Korea and the United States, the project aims to make a transition from experimental studies of plasma physics to electricity-producing fusion power plants. However, the World Nuclear Association says that nuclear fusion "presents so far insurmountable scientific and engineering challenges".[78] Construction of the ITER facility began in 2007, but the project has run into many delays and budget overruns. The facility is now not expected to begin operations until the year 2027 – 11 years after initially anticipated.[79]

Another nuclear power program is the Energy Impact Center's OPEN100 project. OPEN100 was launched in 2020 and has published open-source blueprints for a nuclear power plant with a 100-megawatt pressurized water reactor.[80] The project aims to minimize the costs and duration of construction to increase nuclear power supply and potentially reverse the effects of climate change.[81]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Sustainable Development Commission. Is Nuclear the Answer? Archived 2014-03-22 at the Wayback Machine p. 12.
  2. ^ Sustainable Development Commission. Public engagement and nuclear power Archived 2012-02-17 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Herbert P. Kitschelt (1986). "Political Opportunity and Political Protest: Anti-Nuclear Movements in Four Democracies" (PDF). British Journal of Political Science. 16 (1): 57. doi:10.1017/s000712340000380x. S2CID 154479502.
  4. ^ Falk, Jim (1982). Global Fission: The Battle Over Nuclear Power. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-554315-5.
  5. ^ Patterson, Thom (2013-11-03). "Climate change warriors: It's time to go nuclear". CNN.
  6. ^ Bernard L. Cohen (1990). The Nuclear Energy Option: An Alternative for the 90s. New York: Plenum Press. ISBN 978-0-306-43567-6.
  7. ^ Leo Hickman (28 November 2012). "Nuclear lobbyists wined and dined senior civil servants, documents show". The Guardian.
  8. ^ Diane Farseta (September 1, 2008). "The Campaign to Sell Nuclear". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. pp. 38–56. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  9. ^ Jonathan Leake. "The Nuclear Charm Offensive" New Statesman, 23 May 2005.
  10. ^ Union of Concerned Scientists. Nuclear Industry Spent Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Over the Last Decade to Sell Public, Congress on New Reactors, New Investigation Finds Archived 2013-11-27 at the Wayback Machine News Center, February 1, 2010.
  11. ^ Nuclear group spent $460,000 lobbying in 4Q Business Week, March 19, 2010.
  12. ^ M.V. Ramana (July 2011). "Nuclear power and the public". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. p. 46.
  13. ^ a b Sharon Beder (2014). Lobbying, greenwash and deliberate confusion: how vested interests undermine climate change. In M. C-T. Huang and R. R-C Huang (Eds.), Green Thoughts and Environmental Politics: Green Trends and Environmental Politics (pp. 297-328), Taipei, Taiwan: Asia-seok Digital Technology.
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  16. ^ "History". Anniversary Site. 3 October 1929. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
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  22. ^ "Nuclear Engineers – Job Outlook" in Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014–15. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
  23. ^ Environmental Heresies
  24. ^ An Early Environmentalist, Embracing New ‘Heresies’
  25. ^ James Lovelock
  26. ^ "Technology News".
  27. ^ Robert Bryce (Winter 2013). "Rise of the Nuclear Greens". City Journal. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  28. ^ "Radiation Effects | Effects of Radiation explained by the Scientists for Accurate Radiation Information". Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  29. ^ "What was the death toll from Chernobyl and Fukushima?". Our World in Data. Retrieved 2023-05-14.
  30. ^ McCusker, Peter (2016-02-10). "Newcastle company at forefront of technology for small nuclear reactors". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  31. ^ Giomataris, Ioannis (2010). "Georges Charpak (1924–2010)". Nature. 467 (7319): 1048. Bibcode:2010Natur.467.1048G. doi:10.1038/4671048a. PMID 20981084. S2CID 4410681.
  32. ^ James Hansen (3 December 2015). "Nuclear power paves the only viable path forward on climate change". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  33. ^ James Lovelock (24 May 2004). "Nuclear power is the only green solution". The Independent. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  34. ^ David MacKay (March 2012). A reality check on renewables. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  35. ^ Mackay, David (2009). Sustainable Energy: Without the Hot Air. UIT Cambridge. ISBN 978-0-9544529-3-3.
  36. ^ David Sheff (March 1983). "A candid conversation with America's "photographer laureate" and environmentalist about art, natural beauty and the unnatural acts of Interior Secretary James Watt". Playboy. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
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  39. ^ a b c d e f Pandora's Promise at IMDb. Specifically credited are Brand, Cravens, Lynas, Rhodes, and Shellenberger.
  40. ^ Carol Browner (5 May 2014). "If You're Concerned About Climate Change, You Should Support Nuclear Power". Forbes. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  41. ^ "To Carol Browner, Nuclear More Than Just Matters – It's Essential". Breakthrough Institute. 27 May 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  42. ^ Cravens, Gwyneth (2007). Power to Save the World. New York: First Vintage Books.
  43. ^ "2015 Emerging Explorers » Leslie Dewan, Nuclear Engineer". National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on June 12, 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015. At the most fundamental level I'm an environmentalist. I'm doing this because I think nuclear power is the best way of producing large amounts of carbon-free electricity. I think the world needs nuclear power, alongside solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal, if we want to have any hope of reducing fossil fuel emissions and preventing global climate change.
  44. ^ Chris Goodall (23 February 2009). "The green movement must learn to love nuclear power". The Independent. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  45. ^ Babs McHugh (20 Jun 2014). "Environmentalist argues in favour of nuclear power". ABC Online. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  46. ^ Hamblin, Jacob Darwin (27 November 2020). "Learning to think long-term Deep Time Reckoning: How Future Thinking Can Help Earth Now Vincent Ialenti MIT Press, 2020. 208 pp". Science. 370 (6520): 1043. doi:10.1126/science.abf2843. S2CID 227171422.
  47. ^ "Speaking At MIT, Secretary Of State John Kerry Urges Action On Climate Change". wbur.org. 9 Jan 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  48. ^ Jerry McNerney and Robert E. Latta (17 May 2016). "NRC Reform for a strong, safe nuclear power industry". thehill.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  49. ^ Hume, Holly (18 September 2020). "'Protest' beach party uses inflatable bananas in support of nuclear energy". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
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  52. ^ Mark Lynas thinking the unthinkable on nuclear power on YouTube
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  54. ^ George Monbiot (21 March 2011). "Why Fukushima made me stop worrying and love nuclear power". theguardian.com. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  55. ^ Hugh Montefiore (22 October 2004). "We need nuclear power to save the planet from looming catastrophe". The Independent. Archived from the original on April 20, 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2013. Note, an expanded version of the same essay was printed the next day: Hugh Montefiore (23 October 2004). "Why the planet needs nuclear energy". The Tablet. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  56. ^ Patrick Moore (16 April 2006). "Going Nuclear". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  57. ^ Jonathan Miller (12 May 2016). "Lund debate focuses on nuclear power, climate change". Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  58. ^ Lisa Murkowski (17 May 2016). "Press Release: Our Nation Must Lead on Nuclear Energy". murkowski.senate.gov. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
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  61. ^ Jogalekar, Ashutosh (July 23, 2013). "Richard Rhodes on the Need for Nuclear Power". Scientific American.
  62. ^ Fiona Harvey (3 May 2012). "Nuclear power is only solution to climate change, says Jeffrey Sachs". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  63. ^ Kate Breimann (30 April 2013). "Environmentalists Go Pro-Nuclear in 'Pandora's Promise' Trailer". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  64. ^ Thelen, Frank (2019-09-25). "Ist unser Planet noch zu retten?" [Can we still save the planet?]. LinkedIn (in German).
  65. ^ Steve Connor (23 February 2009). "Nuclear power? Yes please..." The Independent. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  66. ^ Former Greenpeace/UK Executive Director Stephen Tindale on nuclear power and renewable energy on YouTube
  67. ^ Bryony Worthington (4 July 2011). "Why thorium nuclear power shouldn't be written off". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  68. ^ "Elon Musk: It's possible to make 'extremely safe' nuclear plants". CNBC. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  69. ^ Leigh Dayton (10 March 2010). "James Hansen keen on next-generation nuclear power". The Australian. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  70. ^ James Hansen on nuclear power on YouTube
  71. ^ Thom Patterson (3 November 2013). "Climate change warriors: It's time to go nuclear". CNN. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  72. ^ Ken Caldeira; Kerry Emanuel; James Hansen & Tom Wigley (3 November 2013). "Top climate change scientists' letter to policy influencers". CNN. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  73. ^ "Aussie scientists dominate global energy talks". ABC News (Australia). 7 June 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  74. ^ Steve Connor (4 January 2015). "Nuclear power is the greenest option, say top scientists". The Independent. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  75. ^ Barry W. Brook & Corey J. A. Bradshaw (15 December 2014). "An Open Letter to Environmentalists on Nuclear Energy". Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  76. ^ as of the most recent access date, Brook and Bradshaw's letter had an additional 75 signatories; only those with biographical Wikipedia articles are displayed here however.
  77. ^ Ove Hoegh-Guldberg & Eric McFarland (30 June 2014). "Let's go nuclear, for the reef's sake". The Australian. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  78. ^ World Nuclear Association (2005). "Nuclear Fusion Power". Archived from the original on 2009-06-24. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
  79. ^ W Wayt Gibbs (30 December 2013). "Triple-threat method sparks hope for fusion". Nature. 505 (7481): 9–10. Bibcode:2014Natur.505....9G. doi:10.1038/505009a. PMID 24380935.
  80. ^ Proctor, Darrell (February 25, 2020). "Tech Guru's Plan—Fight Climate Change with Nuclear Power". Power Magazine. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  81. ^ Takahashi, Dean (February 25, 2020). "Last Energy raises $3 million to fight climate change with nuclear energy". VentureBeat. Retrieved October 18, 2021.

Further reading

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