Nuclear power: the last best option.

I never thought I’d favor nuclear power. But here it is: I believe nuclear energy is our last best chance to stem the tide of climate change. Time is running out for reversing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning from the fossil fuel age. Nuclear power must occupy a larger share of our energy mix and replace coal-fired power plants. For energy policy, I think “near-term” decisions should still favor: (1) energy efficiency; (2) big wind; and (3) small solar. But nuclear power is going to be needed, too. What convinces me? Answer: The figure below (from Climate Action Tracker, Climate Analytics/Ecofys/PIK) which shows our burgeoning global greenhouse gas emissions despite 20 years of international treaty negotiations and little progress. Basically, we are following “Business-as-Usual”, and even with the current “Pledges” of all countries under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, we fail to level-off our emissions. Yet, an 80% cut is needed to stabilize the atmosphere at 450 ppm CO2 and to keep global warming less than 2 °C. Without drastic intervention soon, we are doomed to endure a 3−4 °C warmer world in this centurya climate so different than the Holocene period with which we evolved, as to be unimaginable. And after this 21st century warming, temperatures and extremes would continue to increase uninterrupted unless (and until) we can turn this curve upside-down to near zero fossil fuel emissions (∼10 GtCO2 eq/ yr).