Nevertheless, ten years later, pro-nuclear voices are gaining rising attention. In his newly published book, Bill Gates advocates for increased innovation and investment in nuclear energy as a part of the solution to the climate crisis. In the following, we will illustrate, why nuclear energy might not be the silver bullet for a sustainable energy supply but rather part of the problem.
Firstly, existing structures of nuclear energy have several unreconcilable flaws, which make an immediate global exit from nuclear energy a necessity. Among these is the lack of final nuclear waste repositories and Uranium mining´s creation of increasing environmental and human rights problems. Furthermore, national security hazards as a nuclear weapon supply and insufficient protection against terrorist attacks have still not been defused.
SMRs are no alternative
Secondly, the erroneous belief of having the highest safety standards and disregarding the fallibility of human-made technology is a perpetual phenomenon. In fact, in June 2011 the Former Japanese Minister of Economy admitted: “In Japan, we have something called the ‘Safety Myth’(…) an unreasonable overconfidence in the technology of Japan’s nuclear power generation.”
See also: Decarbonization: „Look back in anger“
Thirdly, even the highly praised 4th generation of nuclear power plants, especially Small Modular Reactors (SMR) cannot be an option. Not only do they still entail serious safety concerns in a technical dimension but multiplicate the proliferation risk. Just this month, the German Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management released a comprehensive expert report concluding that none of the discussed technologies are likely to reach the energy market in the foreseeable future. Thus, it is impossible for these concepts to help the crucial near-term reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions.
Long-term safety remains unsolved
Two recently published research papers underline the missing applicability of SMR for the future energy system and the unbearable cost escalations in the nuclear sector creating a strengthened scientific basis to bury nuclear energy once and for all. Besides the yet unsolved ever-lasting safety, risk and disposal issues and the status quo of even the most sophisticated nuclear approaches makes one thing crucially evident: It is time to let go of the myth around nuclear energy as blossom of humanity's intelligence and high innovative power as it has proven to fail this role in many facets already – nuclear energy is simply not an option. (mfo)
To find out what can actually be a viable alternative, click here to read Part 2 of this article.
