A eulogy for San Onofre

摘要

California has a global reputation for its environmental policy. The state was first in the US to legislate for greenhouse gas reductions to 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% below that by 2050. Unfortunately, California has also banned new nuclear plants, and that decision is directly at odds with its climate goals. Enacted in 1976, the nuclear ban is technically temporary: construction may resume once the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approves spent fuel disposal. But the Obama administration has quashed the prospects for Yucca Mountain, and with it a nuclear future for California. It seems incomprehensible that anyone with basic scientific knowledge and a genuine concern for the environment would ban nuclear yet continue to use fossil fuels. On any comparison, the environmental attributes of nuclear power are vastly superior.