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Nuclear power is a 'sustainable development' technology because its fuel will be available for multiple centuries, its safety record is superior among major energy sources, its consumption causes virtually no pollution,its use preserves valuable fossil resources for future generations, its costs are competitive and still declining and its waste can be securely managed over the long-term.
India and China, which alone constitute 40% of humanity, are fast advancing economically. Nuclear power in the future will be needed because each nation has vast quantities of coal but also a technologically sophisticated nuclear power industry that has begun to grow at an accelerating rate. No question belongs higher on the world agenda than how these and other developing countries will meet their rapidly intensifying energy needs. At stake is the future of the biosphere.
Humanity cannot go backwards. A burgeoning world population will require vast amount of energy to provide fresh water, energise factories, homes and transportation and support infrastructures for nutrition, education and heath care.
Meeting these needs will require energy from all sources. But the world's energy "mix" must quickly evolve - away from indiscriminate use of fossil fuel. Reducing consumption of fossil fuel will preserve the environment - and irreplaceable resources - for future generations.
Stabilizing the accumulation of atmospheric greenhouse gases requires that worldwide emissions be cut by 50%. This challenge is made even greater by the need to raise living standards in poorer countries. Even if developing countries embrace conservation and clean-energy technologies, their enormous populations will soon emit more greenhouse gases than the existing industrial world.
In order to 'make way' for these increased emissions - while reducing the global total - today's industrialized countries must cut emissions by at least 75%. To curb emissions while expanding energy supplies the world urgently needs a massive introduction of low-emissions energy technologies.
Conceivably, tomorrow's mega-cities could function with few direct emissions - by using electricity, electrically charged batteries and fuel cells using electrically produced hydrogen. But electricity is only a way of distributing energy. The key is to generate vastly expanded supplies of electricity cleanly.
Further ReadingWNA Climate Change PortalGlobal Warming - scienceGlobal Warming - policy responsesTransport and the Hydrogen EconomyNuclear DesalinationSustainable EnergyEnergy Subsidies & External Costs