Nuclear power and climate change
March 12, 2012 in YOPOD Experts
After the nuclear accident in Fukushima one year ago, nuclear power has become a subject for debate and protests in China. For example, opposition to the Pengze plant in Anhui province has even led to this province issuing a formal appeal to Beijing to halt construction on the plant. What do you think will be the final impact of the nuclear accident in China and Europe? As nuclear power is seen as a method to reduce carbon emissions, do you think this power source is a viable option to curb climate change?
For more information:
China faces civic protests over new nuclear power plants (The Times of India. The Economic Times)
China Nuclear Plants Protested on Fukushima Meltdown Anniversary (NTD)
China nuclear protest builds steam (Financial Times)
Nuclear accident in Fukushima has clearly left an impact on world’s nuclear players, including China and many countries in Europe. Social movement against the construction of new nuclear reactors I believe is a natural public reaction given the level of destruction they witnessed just a year ago. As a result, China has increased its security measure and has run a number of safety checks on its existing and newly installed nuclear plants. China and also many European countries have also put much effort in developing renewable energy. However this trend has happened prior to the Fukushima incident and cannot be perceived as a consequence from the event. I believe governments in the EU and China have taken into account all sorts of risk entails with nuclear energy. Fukushima is an unfortunate event; but for it to have a direct influence upon the EU and especially China’s decision making process is, from my point of view, unlikely.
As for the second question, it is true that nuclear power is ‘a viable option to curb climate change’. We have seen many developing countries are trying to put the adoption of nuclear energy into its national agenda for an economic growth without emission (example of the ASEAN). However I believe we should look beyond climate change. Nuclear energy will discard a different type of toxic such as nuclear waste. Although nuclear waste, if stored under certain condition for thousands of years, will be harmless, we have yet to reach that point of thousand years and cannot be certain of such scientific claim.