NUCLEAR NUCLEAR POWERPOWER

The Fading Dream?The Fading Dream?

OrOr

Our Hope for the Future?Our Hope for the Future?

Key QuestionsKey Questions

• Are scientists responsible?Are scientists responsible?• How do we perceive risk?How do we perceive risk?• Are we well-informed and do we Are we well-informed and do we

understand what we hear?understand what we hear?• What about mixed Messages, like Global What about mixed Messages, like Global

Warming?Warming?• When should we act, when should we do When should we act, when should we do

more research and when should we panic?more research and when should we panic?• Remember the Titanic!Remember the Titanic!

The Key Elements of the The Key Elements of the EquationEquation

•ScienceScience

•Risk andRisk and

•PolicyPolicy

Perception of Risk is RealityPerception of Risk is Reality

• The Human Perception of RISK The Human Perception of RISK 

• There is a considerable difference There is a considerable difference between the between the realreal risk posed by risk posed by something and the something and the way that risk is way that risk is perceived by the subject.perceived by the subject. You will You will tolerate a much higher risk from your tolerate a much higher risk from your own actions than you will tolerate own actions than you will tolerate from the actions of others.from the actions of others.

Total Air Fatalities USA 2006 = 746

Total Road Fatalities USA 2006 = 43,200

Perception ProblemPerception Problem

• Say “Nuclear” to almost anyone, and Say “Nuclear” to almost anyone, and this is the image that comes to their this is the image that comes to their mind:mind:

Even though it is totally impossible for a nuclear power plant to explode like this.

Policy “problems” of Nuclear Policy “problems” of Nuclear PowerPower

•    The capital cost of the individual power The capital cost of the individual power plant is extremely high. Marble Hill was plant is extremely high. Marble Hill was $4,000,000,000, and never even opened.$4,000,000,000, and never even opened.

• The technology is seen as potentially The technology is seen as potentially “catastrophic” causing eternal damage and “catastrophic” causing eternal damage and so, making large parts of the world unusableso, making large parts of the world unusable

• This is the same technology used for This is the same technology used for making bombsmaking bombs

• Mining uranium produces radioactive Mining uranium produces radioactive wasteswastes

• We will never be able safely to store We will never be able safely to store the waste products of the nuclear power the waste products of the nuclear power industryindustry

The DreamThe Dream

• How the Sun shinesHow the Sun shines • Nuclear Nuclear fusionfusion is the energy source of is the energy source of

stars – just like our own Sun. stars – just like our own Sun. • It has a nuclear fusion reactor at its core. It has a nuclear fusion reactor at its core. • The immense pressure and a temperature The immense pressure and a temperature

of 16 million degrees C force atomic nuclei of 16 million degrees C force atomic nuclei to fuse and liberate energy. to fuse and liberate energy.

• About four million tonnes of matter is About four million tonnes of matter is converted into sunlight every second.converted into sunlight every second.

• The problem is we have nuclear The problem is we have nuclear fission fission reactors; we have not evolved reactors; we have not evolved fusion reactors yet because of temp. fusion reactors yet because of temp. problem.problem.

• It is the case with every nuclear It is the case with every nuclear reactor that there is, as a by-product, reactor that there is, as a by-product, the production of radioactive waste the production of radioactive waste with a deadly half life of with a deadly half life of

The Nuclear Industry The Nuclear Industry ArgumentArgument• Quotes form the Nuclear Industry:•  • “In 1988 US crude oil production fell to its lowest level in 12

years. At the same time, US oil consumption reached its highest level since 1979. To meet this new demand, and make up for lost domestic production, oil imports have soared to 50% of the oil we use…”

•  • “The shift to nuclear electricity has saved the American

consumers over $50 billion since 1973…. Nuclear electricity and coal help assure energy independence.”

•  • “The 1973 oil crisis proved we cannot afford to rely so

much on a politically unstable region of the world [as the Middle East] for our energy.”

Europe’s Commitment to Europe’s Commitment to NuclearNuclear

National Dependence on National Dependence on NuclearNuclear

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80 France

UK

Germany

Sweden

Ukraine

Italy

Lithuania

Spain

Bulgaria

Romania

Czech

Finland

USA

The Plus FactorThe Plus Factor

• Nuclear Energy PlusesNuclear Energy Pluses• It produces, per unit of raw material. It produces, per unit of raw material.

One ton of Uranium is equal to 24,000 One ton of Uranium is equal to 24,000 railcars of coal! Hence, it is very “efficient”railcars of coal! Hence, it is very “efficient”

• It is “clean” in the sense it produces It is “clean” in the sense it produces little pollution into the air or water—little pollution into the air or water—especially CO2, and is the only energy especially CO2, and is the only energy source about which you can say that.source about which you can say that.

• The raw material is relatively The raw material is relatively abundantabundant

The Minus ArgumentsThe Minus Arguments

• The “waste” (spent rods, irradiated The “waste” (spent rods, irradiated water) remains dangerous for around 25,000 water) remains dangerous for around 25,000 years and we have no experience of years and we have no experience of handling anything like thathandling anything like that

• The potential for accidents, such as The potential for accidents, such as Chernobyl, Three-Mile Island, and 1999 in Chernobyl, Three-Mile Island, and 1999 in Japan, is alarming because the Japan, is alarming because the consequences can be so consequences can be so enormousenormous. Whom . Whom can we trust? Once more: Remember the can we trust? Once more: Remember the “Titanic”“Titanic”

We associate nuclear energy We associate nuclear energy with “iconic” catastropheswith “iconic” catastrophes

Both the United States and the Soviet Union knowingly carried out tests on the results of exposure to nuclear radiation. Principally it causes cancer and genetic disorders.

The Ultimate ImageThe Ultimate Image

The Dream: FusionThe Dream: Fusion

• How the Sun shinesHow the Sun shines • Nuclear fusion is the energy source of Nuclear fusion is the energy source of

stars – just like our own Sun. stars – just like our own Sun. • It has a nuclear fusion reactor at its core. It has a nuclear fusion reactor at its core. • The immense pressure and a The immense pressure and a

temperature of 16 million degrees C temperature of 16 million degrees C force atomic nuclei to fuse and liberate force atomic nuclei to fuse and liberate energy. energy.

• Can this be replicated on Earth?Can this be replicated on Earth?

Tuesday, 28 June, 2005, 07:57 GMT 08:57 UK

France gets nuclear fusion plant

 To produce fusion energy, temperatures above100 million degrees Celsius must be generatedand controlled. This is achieved by creating a magnetic cage with strong magnetic fields, which prevent the particles from escaping.

With fusion, there is no long-lasting radioactive waste to create a burden on future generations. The basic fuels - deuterium and lithium, and the reaction product - helium - are not radioactive. The intermediate fuel, tritium, is radioactive but decays quickly.

Please note the temperature at the core. Yes, that is

100,000,000º C, Basically the temperature of the surface of the sun.

The Thing to AvoidThe Thing to Avoid

• We should not drift into an energy We should not drift into an energy crisis as a result of using up other crisis as a result of using up other fossil fuels without an alternative fossil fuels without an alternative prepared well in advance.prepared well in advance.

• That should be paid for now, perhaps That should be paid for now, perhaps by a specific tax on fossil energy?by a specific tax on fossil energy?

• Otherwise, we have “crisis Otherwise, we have “crisis management” and make hasty, ill-management” and make hasty, ill-informed decisions.informed decisions.