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I've been prodding friends in the climate movement about their community's historical opposition to nuclear power lately. In my view, opposing nuclear power aft
by unchocked 5y ago
I've been prodding friends in the climate movement about their community's historical opposition to nuclear power lately. In my view, opposing nuclear power after 1989 (Hansen's testimony to the US Senate) is anti-climate.
I've held up France as an example of where we could be in an alternate history where states did not bow to anti-nuclear activism. Unfortunately, from the article, it seems France is heading in that direction as well.
> In October 2014 the Energy Transition for Green Growth bill was passed by the National Assembly and so went onto the Senate. This set a target of 50% for nuclear contribution to electricity supply by 2025, and capped nuclear power capacity at 63.2 GWe, the level at the time. This meant that EDF would have to shut at least 1650 GWe of nuclear capacity when its Flamanville 3 EPR starts commercial operation.
A sad decision to see in the only pro nuclear power democracy. And a sad decision for climate, because for decades past and for decades to come, anti-nuclear is pro-coal.
*edit, the French government also seems to be slow-walking the tragic mandate:
> In October 2016 the government postponed until after the 2017 presidential and National Assembly elections any decision on which, if any, reactors would close in order to reduce the nuclear share to 50%. In 2017 France postponed its 2025 target for reducing the share of nuclear to 50%. In December 2017 the French President stated that nuclear is "the most carbon-free way to produce electricity with renewables." In November 2018, a draft of the country's new energy plan confirmed that 2035 was the new target date for the reduction of nuclear's share to 50%. The plan states that 14 of the country's nuclear reactors will shut down by 2035, 4-6 of those by 2030. However the plan also states that the option to build new nuclear reactors remains.
- godelski 5y agoFrance is only reducing to 50%. That still means France will be the world leader in nuclear energy. I'm not sure why both pro nuclear and anti-nuclear people see this as the end of nuclear power in France. Far from it. Energy should be well diversified. This is a good move for France and nuclear in general. There are some advantages to solar and wind but they can't support the entire network itself. France's goal is to start by increasing solar and wind and completely eliminate coal first. This move is neither anti-nuclear nor pro-coal.
- adventured 5y agoFrance is not the world leader in nuclear energy. They're one of the leaders. The US produces a lot more energy from nuclear and has a lot more reactors. China and India are building a lot more new reactors than France. The nuclear industry in Russia and South Korea is as vibrant as France (South Korea getting around 30% of its energy from nuclear today is extremely impressive given where their economy was at just 40 years ago). And at 50%, France will drop below Ukraine.
- ElKrist 5y agoA few things to give you some hope: * The target to reduce the share of nuclear to 50% does not directly imply that nuclear production will decline as much. The reason is that the share of electricity (from nuclear, hydro renewables.. combined) in total energy consumption should increase (electrical vehicles, hydrogen production etc.). * Most French people still believe nuclear emits CO2. I expect that to change as people get more and more informed on climate change. Once more people realize it's one of the cleanest source for greenhouse gases, I expect a stronger support for nuclear * The sovereignty aspect (France does not extract uranium on its soil but has well established logistics) is more important in the French debate recently, probably increased since Covid. The lack of wind in UK recently causing price to soars, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline for Germans to get gas from Russia.. are not examples France wishes to follow
- XiJinpinggg 5y agoThey reversed it: https://archive.is/cCDfv https://archive.is/cCDfv