The Luxembourg Energy Minister explained it as follows: “provocation”Austria has declared that it will “destroy the future of our children”. And climate activist Greta Thunberg has spoken out against “fake climate action.”
Their anger was directed at the European Commission’s draft regulation released earlier this year that would designate nuclear power as a “green” power source, thereby subjecting nuclear projects to favorable financial terms. bottom. France, one of Europe’s leading nuclear nations, which plans to have more than 56 reactors in operation, was unfazed.
This is the fault line. “The debate over whether we need nuclear power is very polarized,” says MV Ramana, who is of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
For many it is too dangerous and expensive. Others say nuclear power is a reliable source of clean energy, essential if we want to meet increasingly ambitious climate goals. In its 2021 report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) included nuclear power in all four proposed pathways to net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Do we really need nuclear energy?
In the fog of allegations and counterclaims, it can be hard to know what to think.The nuclear debate seems to generate more heat than light. But more than ever, we need answers to important questions. Ready to build? Is the waste issue a deal breaker? And finally, if renewable energy sources are in short supply, is there a better way to meet the demand for carbon-free electricity?
The nucleus is…
