Al Gore: nuclear power is not the answer to our energy and climate crisis

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

“I’m not a reflexive opponent of nuclear. I used to be enthusiastic about it, but I’m now sceptical about it. There’s a few reasons. Let’s assume for the moment that we will solve the problem of long-term storage of radioactive waste. Let’s assume also that we’ll figure out how to standardise their design as [each plant] is currently unique and that enhances the risk of operator accidents. Let’s assume we can solve the terrorism threat to nuclear reactors. That still leaves a couple of very difficult problems.

First and foremost, economics. The nuclear industry cannot give any reliable cost estimate for how much it will take to build a nuclear plant. When a utility is confronted with the absence of any advances for how much the construction cost is going to be, then that’s a problem. Because the economics of nuclear only work at scale. You’ve got to have a 1,000 megawatt plant for it to be efficient and competitive. In the current environment, if you run a large utility that sells electricity you’ve got a certain amount of money to allocate in your budget. If you’re looking at the trends towards more conservation and the rapid introduction of renewables, it’s hard for you to project what your demand is going to be with as much precision as when the world was more predictable. As a result, you are less inclined to take all of your money and place one big bet on something that matures 12-15 years from now at an uncertain cost. That what’s called a “lumpy investment” and they want smaller increments that give them smaller flexibility. In the US, there hasn’t been a new order for a new reactor in 36 years.

Yes, there is [more appetite for nuclear power now]. And because of the carbon crisis there will be more nuclear plants built and some of those being retired will be replaced by others. I think it will play a somewhat larger role, but it will not be the main option chosen.

Whatever countries such as the US and the UK do, it will have a demonstration effect for the rest of the world. As the world comes to grips with how to solve the climate crisis, we in the US and the UK have a leadership role. If we told the rest of the world that nuclear is the answer [they would follow]. For the eight years that I spent in the White House every nuclear weapons proliferation problem we dealt with was connected to a reactor programme. People have said for years that there are now completely different [nuclear] technologies. OK, but if you have a team of scientists that can build a reactor, and you’re a dictator, you can make them work at night to build a nuclear weapon. That’s what’s happened in North Korea and Iran. And in Libya before they gave it up. So the idea of, say, Chad, Burma, and Sudan having lots of nuclear reactors is insane and it’s not going to happen.”

http://www.green-blog.org/2009/03/18/al-go...climate-crisis/

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Just buy stock in my new company and make me richer

Bingo! Nuclear is proven technology with a sound track record. But instead of going that route, Mr. Gore would like us to chase alternative energy unicorns. Why? Because in doing so we're gonna make him money!

[Texanadian 10]

So he's saying that in the future we will be using less energy, thus nuclear reactors will be oversized? If anything, we use more electricity per household every year. People own more "stuff" now. Everybody has 3 cell phone chargers, 6 different boxes attached to their TV. Multiple TV's. Multiple computers. More kitchen gadgets. Houses are bigger. Apartments are bigger.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

So he's saying that in the future we will be using less energy, thus nuclear reactors will be oversized? If anything, we use more electricity per household every year. People own more "stuff" now. Everybody has 3 cell phone chargers, 6 different boxes attached to their TV. Multiple TV's. Multiple computers. More kitchen gadgets. Houses are bigger. Apartments are bigger.

In the future, we will live inside windmills.

[Peikko 1,575]

I thought we'd be living in caves?

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

It's not THE answer. It's AN answer. Celebrate energy diversity.

Or only buy Gore's carbon credits and make him even richer.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

If I give Gore all my money, maybe he will protect me from environmental calamity.

[Peikko 1,575]

They are not his carbon credits. He didn't invent the system. Why can't anyone get that in their thick heads?

Al Gore isn't the answer to anything mind you - he's just a messenger and a crappy one at that it would seem.