To tackle the climate crisis and support our energy needs, we need both nuclear and renewables, writes Dr Charles Clement
A reply is needed to the letters (23 March) objecting to political parties supporting nuclear power. How can the chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation dispute the statement that “electricity demand is expected to rise steadily in the next decade”? Has he not realised that, to meet the climate crisis, the necessary replacement of fossil fuels in road transport and home heating requires electric-powered engines and heat pumps, respectively?
Safe underground storage of nuclear waste has been developed. This has never been an insoluble problem. By contrast, little money has been spent on other waste products such as heavy metals, industrial chemicals and plastics. In comparison with nuclear waste, the poisonous effects of heavy metals such as mercury, lead and cadmium never decay with time.
(SOURCE) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/31/we-need-to-revive-the-uks-nuclear-industry