U.K. to go Nuclear Power Route?

Last month I was told by one of my good contacts in UK, that after the May elections, Tony Blair was planning on pushing for nuclear power in UK. This would be, he said, Tony Blair's big, bold stand on how to proceed on climate change issue in UK. David Altig reports today on Macroblog about a Telegraph article speculating on this. David also points that this weeks discussion on Becker-Posner blog is about Nuclear power. I am sure that they will talk about many issues we have discussed here previously.

Comments

[Tom]

Welcome back, Adam.

I've heard similar rumors. There is an article in last week's Economist (the one with oil on the front) saying that nuclear power is starting to look like a viable option - even economical - in Britain (The atomic elephant).

If you are looking for a good book on nuclear technologies and policy, check out the new book by Dr. Bill Nuttall, Nuclear Renaissance: Technologies and Policies for the Future of Nuclear Power.

Bill is the director of TPP's sister program at the University of Cambridge. The book was just published; it primarily looks at the British nuclear situation but has implications for the US as well.

Full disclosure: I helped Bill with some of his research the summer I was in Cambridge.

[Tom]

Two articles in the British press about nuclear build in the UK from yesterday and today:

Secret papers reveal new nuclear building plan

Blair demands nuclear power to protect high living standards'

[Tom]

The GE Ecomagination project is probably worth a new post, maybe this weekend.

In the meantime, on the nuclear topic, scroll down this Grist article and check out the comments from Jonathan Lash of the World Resources Institute.

Lash even had respectful things to say about GE's continued emphasis on "clean coal" and nuclear technology. "Five years ago, I had to struggle to suppress my gag response to terms like 'clean coal,'" he told Muckraker, "but I've since faced the sobering reality that every two weeks China opens a new coal-fired power plant. India is moving at almost the same pace. There is huge environmental value in developing ways to mitigate these [plants'] emissions" with coal gasification and sequestration of carbon-dioxide emissions. On the issue of nuclear power -- of which Immelt is a strong advocate, as GE manufactures nuclear reactors -- Lash said, "Global warming is the most pressing environmental problem humankind has ever faced. I wouldn't push any potential solution off the table, and I think nuclear has to be a part of the carbon-free energy mix."

[Tom]

I screwed up that link. Try again:

It Was Just My Ecomagination

[adam]

thx tom. I didn't submit the post though... not much internet access....have been thinking about lots and plan to post soon when I have things figured out.