Page 21 - DIVA_1_2007_No.28

NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR DUMMIES

Dr Howard Horn feld

contributor to the green
Now that many environ-
-house effect. This CO2 is
mental groups are begin-
"new", in that it is based on
ning to realize that nuclear
carbon that was laid down
energy is no longer the
hundreds of millions of
scare that it was some
years ago, and is being
years ago (see, for exam-
released to the atmosphere
ple, the Tribune de Genève,
with no equivalent amount
16 January 2007, p. 7),
Of CO2 being removed. But
maybe it's time to under-
stand what nuclear energy for most of the heavy indus-
is, and in particular where try applications noted above
the future of this techno- there simply is no major
logy lies. alternative.
Energy in general For some important base
energy uses, particularly
Firstly, let's think about transportation, bio-fuels are
energy in general terms for being developed. These
our society. To simplify fuels include wood, but
matters, we can state that more importantly bio-
there are two basic types of alcohols and some vegeta-
energy: base energy and ble oils used for automotive
supplemental energy. Base transport. They are inter-
energy requires hefty mediary between fossil changes, with classical fos- Solar power is nice when
amounts of the stuff to run fuels and other non-0O2- sil fuels being replaced by a one has sunlight, but tech-
heavy industry (such as producing technologies. host of newer technologies nologies are also being
steel mills, cement facto- While burning bio-fuels which are cleaner, safer, and developed to generate elec-
ties, major transportation, does produce CO2, the getting ever more economi- tricity even under low light
and lots of similar things) cal. Here is where electri- exposure; the economics are
amount produced is roughly
and supplemental energy city plays the major role. not great however. Wind
equal to the amount with-
(such as heating, lighting farms are developing across
drawn from the atmosphere
and all the conveniences of For supplemental energy, areas where winds tend to
during growth of the bio-
home and business). the most important raw be most regular and most
product. We all remember
from school that plants use materials in most countries intense. Large collections of
Base en, are still fossil fuels, which solar panels and windmills

CO2 taken from the air via
are burned -- as in heavy do tend to put a scar on the
Within the next few deca- photosynthesis to build their industry applications --with landscape where they are
des it is unlikely that the structures. Thus, the net the accompanying CO2 installed -- usually in areas
sources of energy needed greenhouse-gas effect of emissions. The energy deri- which are either sunny or
for heavy industry will burning bio-fuels is close to ved is then usually conver- coastal -- that is, pretty pla-
change, although efficien- zero. Environmentally, bio- ted
ces!
electricity.
into
cies in their use will no fuels are a "good thing", but However, there are nume-
doubt take place. That then comes an economic rous alternative energy The most controversial type
source is -- and will remain struggle for agricultural sources that are not carbon- of electricity generation is
-- fossil fuels for at least planning -- is it more based, virtually all of which that based on nuclear ener-
90% of the demand. profitable to grow food or are used to generate electri- gy, although there is already
Fossil fuels are oil, gas and energy? an amazing amount of com-
city without creating carbon
coal. When burned, they dioxide. The most important mercial, practical experien-
all -- unavoidably -- add Supplemental energy ce with it. France, in percen-
of these sources are solar
carbon dioxide (CO2) to tage terms, is the world's
Supplemental energy sup- power, wind power and
the atmosphere, and we all nuclear energy. leading generator of electri-
ply, on the other hand, is
know that CO2 is a major city using nuclear reactors,
going through tremendous
with nearly 80%(!) of the
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