Nuclear Power in the Global Warming Era: Environmental, Economic, and Policy Considerations

摘要

As the world seeks ways to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and avert climate change, some commentators have suggested that nuclear power should play arnlarger role in the global energy structure, arguing that nuclear energy can generate electricity with significantly lower emissions compared to fossil fuels. But these arguments may be minimizing some key problems associated with greater use of nuclear power.rnThis article looks at some critical issues related to the global nuclear power industry. Among the issues reviewed are concerns about the true carbon costs of nuclear power, uncertainties about the overall economic cost of producing nuclear energy (including the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants), concerns about the availability of uranium resources, worries about the safety of nuclear reactors and the disposal of nuclear waste, and issues related to nuclear weapons proliferation. These concerns will have a significant impact on how widely nuclear energy will be used as a source for generating electricity in future decades.