Another great article, this time written by author and environmental activist Mark Lynas. He describes the current discussion over nuclear power choices in the UK and offers his view:
Atomic energy, while far from perfect, is an essential option to combat two looming problems: climate change, caused by man-made carbon emissions, and a growing ‘energy gap’ by which Britain generates far less electricity than it needs, sending fuel bills soaring….Because while Greens may be right about climate change, they stick their heads in the sand when it comes to one of the strongest solutions we have to this crisis — nuclear power…
A report from the Government’s Climate Change Committee last week outlined aims to get 40 per cent of our electricity from nuclear by 2030, producing an equivalent proportion of energy from renewable sources, such as wind and solar power.
But for this to happen and for Britain to have any chance of meeting its ambitious carbon-reduction targets, Green groups need to stop scare- mongering about atomic power and blocking plans for nuclear plants….
And he offers a glimpse at how his own thinking had evolved:
It has taken me a long time to reach this conclusion. I used to passionately oppose not only nuclear power but GM crops. I once even threw a pie in the face of a Danish scientist who dared to question the orthodox environmental line. So what changed?
Through research, I found that much of what I believed about environmental issues had little, if any, basis in science. Put simply, though my concerns were right, my solutions were wrong….
Our environment and energy problems are solvable — but can be tackled effectively only with pragmatism, rather than ideological wishful thinking. And the litmus test for that may well be the issue of nuclear power.
It’s an excellent article, do read the whole thing and share it.
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