Nuclear Power
Gordon Taylor
2011-12-13
As an engineer I became concerned that nuclear power posed unacceptable risks. On 2006-09-19 I wrote - for forwarding to the Department of Trade and Industry - a letter to my M.P. However the reply failed to address any of the points raised.
The Government later held a Nuclear Consultation, set out as a number of questions. On 2007-10-09 I sent my Response.
On 2011-03-11, the nuclear power plants in Fukushima, Japan were damaged by a major earthquake and tsunami. This lead to overheating of the three operational reactors and of the spent fuel store of the fourth reactor, which was not operational. This quickly lead to hydrogen explosions and radioactive releases, which necessitated progressively wider evacuations of the populace. In the weeks that followed, it became clear that the situation was on a knife-edge, with the potential for far greater radioactive releases. However, without visiting Japan or waiting for events to run their course, the U.K. Nuclear Installations Inspectorate reported that there was no need to curtail nuclear power. Moreover, the Energy and Climate Secretary, Chris Huhne, said that the report 'provides us with the basis to continue to remove the barriers to nuclear new build in the UK'.
This
was patently unjustified so I wrote a paper 'The
Case Against Nuclear Power'.
It may be read, printed and downloaded in html
here and
pdf
here.
Here as a pdf is a presentation based on the Summary.
Here as a pdf is a presentation 'Fukushima
and the Case Against Nuclear Power'.
This is based on a paper on the consequences and costs of Fukushima
that is still in draft.
Together they summarize the evidence –
including that from Chernobyl and now Fukushima – that the
consequences of nuclear releases are completely unacceptable.
Moreover such releases are inevitable, yet nuclear power incurs huge
energy debts and money costs, for clean-up, decommissioning, and the
storage of radioactive waste for ever. However, energy efficiency and
renewable energy – especially from wind – offers truly safe and
sustainable solutions without such costs.
Meanwhile Switzerland and Germany have set dates for phasing out their nuclear power plants and Japan has announced a moratorium on new nuclear, with all turning to energy efficiency and renewable energy supply. The German case is particularly relevant to the UK, since it larger and more industrialised, with a higher proportion of nuclear power, while the wind resource – though ample – is less than that of the UK. Yet their nuclear phase-out should be complete by or before 2022. The turn to energy efficiency and renewables will increase their energy security and employment, while reducing the costs of imported oil, gas, coal and uranium. Moreover, a strong home market will be a showcase for exporting such products and services worldwide. Unlike nuclear technology, such exports can be unrestricted and so materially mitigate climate change.