Answer: Citizens’ Climate Lobby does not advocate for or against any specific energy technologies, including nuclear power generation. From the standpoint of greenhouse gases – the main cause of climate change – nuclear power’s life-cycle CO2 emissions are comparable to those of renewable energy. [1] Concerns typically raised about nuclear power are plant safety, radioactive waste, and the potential for weaponization.[2] Like the ‘external’ costs associated with greenhouse gases, these costs should also be internalized in the price of nuclear energy. In fact, the costs of nuclear plant safety and waste storage are largely internalized through stringent equipment codes, insurance, and fees, [3,4] and evidence shows it to be far safer than fossil fuels for public health and safety even before considering climate change. [5] Despite that record, many Americans are still concerned about long-term management of nuclear waste, risks of a major accident, and weapons proliferation. These concerns have spurred renewed interest in ‘Generation IV’ designs that produce far less radioactive waste, are inherently meltdown-proof, and resist weaponization. [6] Some may not even use uranium, but more abundant thorium, which could sidestep some of the concerns with conventional reactors. [7] Generation IV reactors have not yet been built on a commercial scale, but some companies have taken the first steps. [8,9] CCL does not have the authority to define, or even predict, what role advanced nuclear energy will play under a carbon fee and dividend policy. That’s a mission for the engineers and investors who will try to meet its future challenges. Our mission is to make sure all the costs of climate change are paid for with an effective price on carbon. This will improve the long-term economic prospects of any technology with a low global warming footprint. This page was updated on 12/14/21 at 11:56 CST.Nuclear Energy Laser Talk
Question: Where does CCL stand on nuclear energy?
Nuclear Energy
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