Just to break
the blog up, this week I thought I would list a few websites and articles which I have found
helpful, and recommend to anyone looking to learn a bit more about nuclear power and the debate on future energy policy in general.
I found the
guardian's nuclear section very useful, mainly because unlike websites like
Greenpeace and Horizon Nuclear; as well as other newspapers for that matter! It
does not come vehemently down on one side or the other. It has a green rather than
technocratic undertone, but offers a range of perspectives on nuclear issues.
The website is updated frequently; following the situation here in the
UK in detail, and reporting on significant global headlines. However its best
aspect is the first thoughts section. instead of reporting issues with
impartiality, news stories are critically assesed and often you get more than one perspectives from a number of writers. As a result you get a real sense of the bigger picture, in terms of
arguments for , and arguments against. These are sometimes complemented with a
5-minute video debate (see link). Whilst giving only an overview, I find them a refreshing change from the one-sided articles often found in the media and in academia to a lesser extent.
In the broader environment section there are also a number of blogs, which
often stray onto the issues of future energy policy, I would
particularly recommend Damian Carrington’s ,which is highly relevant.
Greenpeace
are anti-nuclear, they have launched protests in a number of countries against
nuclear power, and campaign strongly for renewable alternatives. Whilst their arguments
are often one sided, they put the negatives under more scrutiny than others and
prioritise the environment over economic and political nuisances. I particularly
find the news desk section helpful, it moves away from the campaign aspect of
the main site towards discussion. A recent article by Tom Burke was particularly helpful, where he highlighted the need to scrutinise safety
legislation worldwide before promoting a global nuclear programme to
deal with climate change.
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Burke specifically questioned the safety of the ambitious
nuclear programme in China who are planning to quadruple nuclear capacity
in 7 years. Such fears resonate strongly with myself, nuclear power would be a useful part of our future energy mix but how big a part it is granted surely depends on whether safety can be maintained with rapid global proliferation
This is where Greenpeace are refreshing, they argue largely from a global perspective, promote sustainable living and
put the environment first. Many other articles look at nuclear power in terms of national policy, and mostly ignore a reduction in consumption as a way to
open up alternatives, away from higher yielding non-renewables.
On the other
end on the spectrum is Horizon Nuclear, which is in fact an energy supplier currently building two nuclear power stations in Oldbury, South Gloucestershire and Wylfa
in Anglesey. I largely include them, as whilst the site is never going to offer
vibrant political debate, it is a useful stopgap to educate yourself in nuclear
power generation, as well as the arguments for a nuclear future in Britain. Under the Nuclear facts section it addresses a series of
questions a nuclear sceptic might ask, the responses are obviously pro nuclear,
but they are truths that need to be considered.
“70% of low
carbon electricity in the UK comes from Nuclear”
The website
also gives some background to the infrastructure of nuclear power stations. I beleive it is good to have at least some understanding of how the technology works before
siding with the negative connotations, often ascribed to phrases like ‘waste
disposal’, ‘decommissioning’ and ‘radiation containment’.
Grist is an online environmental magazine based in Seattle. It has discussions on a plethora of environmental issues., It is certainly green but unlike Greenpeace it's coverage is not predictable, and its debates are often dynamic. In terms of Nuclear power whilst recently many of its articles have been against,, it has no clear agenda on the issue and is open to wide ranging debate. Much of the content is serious but with a refreshing humour and colloquialism, which must be said, is lacking elsewhere. Perhaps where I find Grist most helpful is that it encompasses and links such a wide range of environmental topics, and really encourages a multi-disciplinary approach to environmental issues. An article on Nuclear power I would particularly recommend is http://grist.org/nuclear/2011-04-26-unsure-about-nuclear-power-here-are-5-questions-you-must-answer/
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