A Nuclear Ireland?
Let me elaborate.
Ireland has repeatedly rejected the construction of a nuclear power plant, for a host of reasons, most of them irrational, take this for example, or factually incorrect, see this, or just twaddle, see this.Â
I think if the benefits of nuclear power were put to the Irish people in a consistent and intelligent way, they would respond with a different answer.Â
The benefits of nuclear power are cheap, reliable energy which is independent of fossil fuel usage and, as we’ve seen, price changes. Not only does nuclear power have negligible CO2 (global warming) emissions, but Western nuclear power has never killed a member of the public or had any measurable impact on public health, miles of column inches to the contrary. France is the shining example of the benefits of nuclear power—78% of French electricity is generated using nuclear fuel.
The costs of nuclear power are, in this order, high level waste disposal, risk of proliferation, severe accidents, and terrorism. Obviously, Ireland would not be subject to most of these risks as it is a (largely) neutral country.Â
Running out of uranium isn’t really an issue either: there are approximately 14,750,000 tonnes of the stuff on Earth. Last year we used close to 67,000 tonnes of this. With type four fast breeder reactor technology, we’d have practically unlimited energy resources into the 22nd century [2].Â
Right now, our CO2 emission are 24% higher than our 1990 level. Our Kyoto protocol agreement is for 13% increases, and our energy needs are set to increase by 25% by 2015 [1]. So this is not a problem which will go away, as this ESRI report shows. Ireland is contributing to climate change in much the same way as India and China, albeit on a smaller scale.Â
Pollution is the price of development.Â
It’s fair to say nuclear power isn’t the solution, but there is no solution in the medium term without it, as we transition away from fossil fuel power solutions. Those electric cars won’t charge themselves.Â
I’m not a fan of nuclear power, but there are ways to buy this power from abroad. As Gerard reports, a 25bn pound investment in nuclear power will take place in the UK in the next 10 years, thanks to a recent takeover. This power will need buyers. If it is priced properly, Ireland might be in a position to purchase the benefits of nuclear power without incurring many of its costs.Â
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1 comment
There is many issues behind Nuclear energy that no one in Ireland ever addresses and yet are as vital for contributing to the debate as anything. For instance. I have done a degree in Physics in Ireland and the amount that is thought about nuclear energy is quiet minimal. We in Ireland simply do not have the knowledge base to run nuclear power stations. We have little or no nuclear research. So to create the talent pool to educate about this we would have to start importing the knowledge and the staff in large quantities.
Also recoverable resources are around 5,469,000 not 14 million.
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf75.html
This gives us a reserve of 80 years. Considering so many more countries are planning to build now . That is probably 50 years.
Other things that have to be remembered are that while Uranium is cheap and the amount used is low. The cost of building nuclear reators are high and the materials used are rising in price. The time to plan to build them is long and their are backlogs.
I have written before about it.
http://www.thedossingtimes.com/blog/2008/07/29/nuclear-power-and-the-future/