Yes, yes, there have always been a few members of the Cult of Climastrology who support nuclear power, but, the CoC is so chock full of extreme-enviros who were unhinged over nuclear power that most have said “nyet” to it as a way to reduce mankind’s carbon footprint. That might be changing, as we see in this Boston Globe editorial
To fight climate change, environmentalists say yes to nuclear power
Analogies to Richard Nixon going to China tend to be overused.
But here’s one that’s the real deal: On Thursday, the venerable Cambridge-based Union of Concerned Scientists issued a report on nuclear power endorsing measures to keep financially struggling nuclear power plants alive to combat climate change.
They aren’t the first environmentalists to reach the same conclusion, but it’s a convincing report — and, symbolically, a really big deal. The group’s name is practically synonymous with skepticism toward nuclear energy, and it played a leading role in the fights against nuclear reactors in New England in the 1980s.
In the report, the group outlined a hard truth about the future. With climate change accelerating, as a new UN report underscored, the time to be fussy about how to reduce emissions has passed.
“These sobering realities dictate that we keep an open mind about all of the tools in the emissions reduction toolbox — even ones that are not our personal favorites,â€Â wrote Ken Kimmell, the group’s president. “And that includes existing nuclear power plants in the United States, which currently supply about 20 percent of our total electricity needs and more than half of our low-carbon electricity supply.â€
Perhaps they’ve finally figured out that wind and solar aren’t even close to being ready for prime time, especially when other groups of enviros file suit to block construction of solar and wind projects, as well as transmission lines when they are. They’ve work to not only block hydro-electric projects, but want existing dams torn down.
Nuclear has it’s own dangers, but, especially since the same enviros block all attempts to create a repository for the spent fuel, but, it’s a lot better than coal. The advancements in plants allow more power and more use of the fuel, leaving less mess and much safer plants. Combine this with natural gas and you will have more stable power and, since they are so concerned, few carbon dioxide emissions. And, they won’t get pushback from skeptics. It’s good to see them coming back to reality.
