Title: Renewable and nuclear heresies

Authors: Jesse H. Ausubel

Addresses: Program for the Human Environment, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021, USA

Abstract: Renewables are not green. To reach the scale at which they would contribute importantly to meeting global energy demand, renewable sources of energy, such as wind, water and biomass, cause serious environmental harm. Measuring renewables in watts per square metre that each source could produce smashes these environmental idols. Nuclear energy is green. However, in order to grow, the nuclear industry must extend out of its niche in baseload electric power generation, form alliances with the methane industry to introduce more hydrogen into energy markets, and start making hydrogen itself. Technologies succeed when economies of scale form part of their conditions of evolution. Like computers, to grow larger, the energy system must now shrink in size and cost. Considered in watts per square metre, nuclear has astronomical advantages over its competitors.

Keywords: decarbonisation; electricity; environmental impact; nuclear power; renewable energy; green energy; nuclear energy; wind power; water power; biomass energy; electric power generation; methane; hydrogen; economies of scale.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNGEE.2007.014671

International Journal of Nuclear Governance, Economy and Ecology, 2007 Vol.1 No.3, pp.229 - 243

Published online: 24 Jul 2007 *

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