How green is nuclear power?
By Mark Clayton | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
“Saying nuclear is carbon-free is not true,” says Uwe Fritsche, a researcher at the Oko Institut in Darmstadt, Germany, who has conducted a life-cycle analysis of the plants.
Nuclear power has more than just a little greenhouse gas attached to it, when mining uranium ore, refining and enriching fuel, building the plant, and operating it are included. A big 1,250 megawatt plant produces the equivalent of 250,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year during its life, Dr. Fritsche says.
Officials in the nuclear power industry say references to carbon-free energy in their promotions refer only to the power-plant operation – and are not intended to describe carbon emissions during the entire nuclear life cycle.
….new reactors gives two to 10 times less climate solution for the amount of coal-power displaced than if you had bought cheaper solutions with the same dollars.”
Found on the Climate Crisis Coalition website: www.climatecrisiscoalition.org
Here is entire article: www.csmonitor.com/2007/0307/p01s04-sten.html?page=1
