Nuclear power isn't the answer, expert says
Nov 4 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Richard Mial La Crosse
Tribune, Wis.
Former federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission member Peter Bradford does
not believe nuclear power will be a major answer to America's energy
issues.
That's because of its high cost, its potential for nuclear weapons
proliferation through reprocessing, and the tendency to shift costs from
power plant investors to consumers and taxpayers.
Speaking Tuesday night at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse,
Bradford went through a series of what he described as the "myths" of
nuclear power.
One is that we are in the midst of a nuclear renaissance, with many
power plants being proposed or submitted for licensing in the past
decade.
Bush administration officials in 2002 did encourage a rush of nuclear
power plant applications by the end of 2008 that drew proposals for more
than 30 reactors. But it became apparent not all those applicants were
ready to build; about half eventually were either withdrawn or delayed.
Other factors cited include the need to reduce the country's carbon
output to reduce global warming and the fact that France gets 80 percent
of its electrical output from nuclear plants, "solving" the nuclear
waste issue through reprocessing.
But Bradford said the discovery of new natural gas reserves, which
produce half the carbon of coal, make nuclear power less necessary.
And France's reprocessing does not reduce the radioactivity, adds
greatly to the cost and carries the risk of weapons proliferation, he
said.
Bradford's talk was sponsored by the Wisconsin chapter of Physicians for
Social Responsibility.
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