Nuclear Power and Climate Change (a short paper)

Short paper on Nuclear Power and Low-Carbon Alternatives

Prepared for the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission Public Session of 1 October 2015
By Arjun Makhijani

In this brief paper, the case is made for the necessary transition to a low-CO₂ energy system that does not rely on nuclear power. “It is generally accepted that climate protection considerations necessitate that CO₂ emissions be reduced by 80 percent or more within the next three to four decades, especially in the developed world, given inequality in past emissions. There is no shortage of low-carbon energy sources: solar and wind are plentiful, and, in principle, so is nuclear fuel. The critical parameters for climate policy are time and money: both are in short supply and that should be a central consideration in making energy choices”. The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission was established by the South Australian Government.

Download the full paper here.

You can also watch the archived presentation by Arjun Makhijani to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission at the commission’s website, or read the transcript.