Why not? It actually never went away, as most of the existing nuclear
power plants are still being operated at full level to produce electricity, not
only in countries like France, in which about 78% of the electicity is
produced by nuclear power plants, but also in other countries as Spain, UK,
or the United States (20% of the electricity produced at nuclear powerplants).
Asian developing countries are nowadays building several nuclear
power plants, as they have an increasing demand that cannot be only
satisfied by fuel, coal or natural gas, leaving apart the also crucial
problem of the cost of those commodities. For example, India, having
15 nuclear plants in use right now is building 8 more. With a population
of 1100 million people, they need those watts.
As
Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace, says:
Here's why: Wind and solar power have their place, but because they are intermittent and unpredictable they simply can't replace big baseload plants such as coal, nuclear and hydroelectric. Natural gas, a fossil fuel, is too expensive already, and its price is too volatile to risk building big baseload plants. Given that hydroelectric resources are built pretty much to capacity, nuclear is, by elimination, the only viable substitute for coal. It's that simple.
Of course we have to think also in wind and solar power. And not only
for generating electricity to put on the net, but also as a way to reduce
home energy consumption. For example, in Madrid, local goverment is forcing
that every flat building designed from 2007 have solar panels on top
for generating hot water. This will mean a lot of fuel saving. But it is
only a local measure (not country wide) and at the same time it cames a bit
late: there have been a construction boom during last 10 years and
the cycle is somehow reaching an end.
And also wind or solar energies have other environmental problems.
Wind mills require elevated zones, with good winds, to be placed. And those
will affect landscape and birds. But solar and wind energies cannot
be promoted and think at the same time that they will not have any impact.
Will have to deploy in not a far future (perhaps we are late now)
every non fossil baseload sources of energy we have.
This includes solar, wind and also nuclear.
There are environmental, economical and also polical and estrategical issues
that must be considered when a range from 60% to 80% of our energy is produced
using coal, fuel or natural gas coming from always conflictive world areas,
and at even higher prices, as more demand from developing countries enter
in the market and resources end and other more expensive locations have
to be used. At the same time, we can not leave apart those problems that
nuclear power has,
including accidents,
but we have to consider them from a
neutral
scientific and technical point of view.
Or we can shut down our computers and chat around a table with a light
candle.
