Energy: A new nuclear age?

Speakers: Paul Brown; Malcolm Grimston; Jo Kaplinsky; Dr Alexandra Penn.
Chair: Dr Dominic Standish.

Nuclear energy is being embraced by some as the best solution for meeting rising power needs and respecting the environment. New nuclear plants are under construction in China, India and elsewhere, although in the UK and USA they remain on the drawing board. Across Europe the question of new nuclear plants has been put on the agenda and countries are considering reversing previous commitments to close their nuclear reactors.

People want green energy, but are worried about risks - from waste, proliferation and accidents. Nuclears potential is often overshadowed by its destructive history from Hiroshima through to Chernobyl. But are governments too ambivalent today about nuclear to give it the support it needs to succeed? Although political opposition seems to have slackened, with leading environmentalists now voicing their support for nuclear energy as a response to climate change, other difficulties stand in the way: a lack of engineers, shortage of funds for investment and sundry barriers to development. The possibility of nuclear fusion producing energy by joining atomic nuclei rather than splitting them holds out the promise of cheap power without the waste produced by existing fission technology. Yet the promise of cheap clean energy has not been universally welcomed. Some argue that the dream of fusion is a mirage that encourages us to ignore the problems of climate change.

Is nuclear power a disaster waiting to happen or could it help create a more resilient energy system and bring energy to the developing world? What does the current climate of thinking on fusion research tell us about todays attitudes to energy? Is the new nuclear age an exciting solution to energy challenges or a dangerous threat to the future of mankind and the planet?

The panel of speakers at this Battle of Ideas debate includes: journalist Paul Brown; physics professor Sandra Chapman; science author and researcher Joe Kaplinsky and life sciences research fellow Dr Alexandra Penn.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• battle
• ideas
• institute
• politics
• debate
• 2009
• nuclear
• energy

[dja51]

Met the marvelous lady at a Permaculture discourse in Guildford, did not UNFORTUNATELY know who she really is WOW!!!

[zellerhelsinki]

As the Fukushima crisis unfolded the BBC allowed Mr. Grimston to make a number of lengthy statements. He pronounced that everything was definitely very much under control at Fukushima & kept hammering that same message until the BBC finally decided to call upon more careful analysts.

An 'expert' should present a balanced view based on known facts. At the time, these were:

1. Utter chaos across Japan

2. Plant owner TEPCO in 2002 found guilty of systematic concealment of plant safety incidents

[HammadRaza3]

People are uninformed about the potential of Nuclear Energy. The advancements of reactor design and the track record of accidents and radioactive emissions show that we are not using this energy to its fullest extent. Knowledge is Power.

Source: I am a Nuclear Engineer