Can nuclear energy help solve global warming?

04/08/05

Editorial Note: NuStart believes that open and intelligent discussion of the issues surrounding nuclear energy are part of the process of exploring all of America’s energy options. The articles and opinions we are collecting here will represent the best thinking of a wide range of scientists, industry experts, and informed citizens. We hope it will be of value in shaping the exploration on which we are embarked.

Synopsis

In the May 24, 2004 issue of The London Independent (UK), author James Lovelock, the “father” of global warming, notes in the article "Nuclear Power is the Only Green Solution" that we have no time to experiment with visionary energy sources; civilization is in imminent danger. The National Academy of Sciences suggests that over the past century the surface temperature of the Earth has risen about one degree Fahrenheit, with faster warming over the past two decades. Now further evidence is revealing how humans are responsible for most of the warming over the last 50 years. We have altered the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the buildup of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide — the so-called greenhouse gases. These gases are known to trap heat, although it's uncertain exactly what impact that has on our global climate.

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