Posted by Jamie in Climate Change, Green Articles, Green Leaders | 0 Comments
Obama: On climate change and a nuclear-free world
Next to revitalizing the US economy, the new US President Barack Obama revealed ambitious plans to achieve climate change goals by vowing to lead the world in the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and putting an end to nuclear weapons proliferation.
On April 5, speaking to a crowd of 30,000 people gathered at historic Prague, during his first public speech in Europe, President Obama said that in order “to protect the planet, now is the time to change the way we use energy”. He also stressed that the only way to confront climate change is to end the world’s dependency on fossil fuels by using power taken from alternative energy sources like the wind and the sun, and asking other nations to do their part.
US Needs Nuclear Energy
But this does not mean that the US is ready to abandon nuclear energy or its nuclear weapons program.
In a campaign speech, President Obama said that it is unlikely that the US can meet its aggressive climate goals if elimination of nuclear power is a choice.
Scientists believe that President Obama’s promise to end dependence on foreign oil and to slash carbon emissions by midcentury is difficult without relying on nuclear power. The US derives 70% of its non-carbon electricity from nuclear energy, a fact that many Americans neglect or refuse to know. Commercial nuclear reactors provide 20% of the nation’s power.
Nuclear Waste a big Problem
Nuclear power is equivalent to clean energy because of its zero carbon emissions. However, a bigger problem confronts it – nuclear waste. Nuclear reactors produce deadly waste in the form of radioactive fuel rods that remain toxic for thousands of years.
What is unsettling about nuclear power is the question of where to dispose it. As it is, nuclear waste in the US is piling up; most of it simply stockpiled in the plants and submerged in open pools of water for five years, sealed in steel and concrete casks. Over 100 reactors store waste on-site, under a temporary license as indicated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in one of the worst possible places – next to earthquake faults or very close to water supplies.
President Obama believes that there is a need for the US to continue or expand its use of nuclear power to meet its energy and climate goals. However, this should occur only after the US has found a safe and effective way to manage nuclear waste and to minimize the national security risks posed by nuclear power.
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