Nuclear Power and the Climate Crisis

Sources and additional material for the presentation

In Germany and other European countries, the past few years have seen renewed discussions that frame nuclear power as a low-carbon technology and possible contribution to the mitigation of climate change. These discussions ignore the risks and environmental impacts associated with this technology and the unsolved problem of nuclear waste. They are also based on highly exaggerated assumptions regarding the technological potential of nuclear power. The climate crisis needs to be tackled as fast as possible – nuclear power is too weak, too expensive and too slow to contribute to mitigation efforts. Discussions in favour of nuclear power distract from the task at hand, thus hindering the necessary transition to renewable energies and worsening the crisis.

On this page, we provide a summary of the arguments for further reading as well as sources and links used in the presentation. The subdivision is based on the thematic blocks of the presentation.

We also recommend the .ausgestrahlt brochure on the topic and our website on nuclear power and the climate crisis (in German). You can view the presentation here.

Introduction: Recurring nuclear discussions

• Müller, Ulrich (2009): Lesenswert: Internes Strategiepapier für die Atomlobby. In: Lobbycontrol.de, 24.09.2009. Online hier

• Scheer, Hermann (2004): Kernenergie gehört ins Technikmuseum. Immer noch zu teuer, immer noch zu gefährlich- In: Zeit 2004, 29.07.2004 (32). Online hier

• Waldermann, Anselm (2009): Atomlobby plante Wahlkampf minutiös. In: Spiegel, 23.09.2009. Online hier

• Jones, Philippa Nuttall (2020): Study suggests IEA still struggling to shake off oil industry roots. In Energy Monitor, 12/15/2020. Available online at https://energymonitor.ai/policy/study-suggests-iea-still-struggling-to-shake-off-oil-industry-roots, checked on 1/20/2021.

• Alt, Franz (2016): Nachgehakt: Erneuerbare Energien – was sind die Prognosen von damals wert? (Sonnenseite). Online hier
• Morris, Craig (2020): ad campaign surrounding "Not everyone who asks critical questions is against nuclear" from early 90s. Twitter. Available online at https://twitter.com/PPchef/status/1343962227938889730, updated on 12/29/2020, checked on 1/25/2021.
• Renewable Electricity Production in Germany: https://energy-charts.info/charts/renewable_share/chart.htm?l=de&c=DE
• Enkhardt, Sandra; Beetz, Becky (2018): IEA versus the reality of solar PV. In pv magazine International, 11/20/2018. Available online at https://www.pv-magazine.com/2018/11/20/iea-versus-solar-pv-reality/, checked on 1/20/2021.
• Wolff, Angela (2020): Der Atom-Klüngel - .ausgestrahlt-Blog
• Wise International (2019): Ecomodernist Shellenberger: totally outdated. Available online at https://wiseinternational.org/ecomodernist-shellenberger-totally-outdated, updated on 1/21/2021, checked on 1/25/2021.

• Nuclear Energy Information Service (NEIS) (2021): We Can’t Nuke Climate Change. Available online at https://neis.org/you-cant-nuke-global-warming/ , updated on 1/19/2021, checked on 1/19/2021.

Status quo - Worldwide and in Europe

• .ausgestrahlt on nuclear power and the climate crisis

• .ausgestrahlt on nuclear accidents and uranium

   

• BP (2019): Statistical Review of World Energy. Online hier
• Schneider, Mycle; Froggatt, Antony (Hg.) (2019): World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2019. Online hier

• Schneider, Mycle; Froggatt, Antony (2020): World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2020. Mycle Schneider Consulting. Paris (World Nuclear Industry Status Report). Available online at https://www.worldnuclearreport.org/-World-Nuclear-Industry-Status-Report-2020-.html , checked on 10/20/2020.

• Lazard (2020): Lazard’s Levelized Cost of Energy Analysis—Version 14.0. Available online at https://www.lazard.com/media/451419/lazards-levelized-cost-of-energy-version-140.pdf , checked on 12/16/2020.

• Lazard (2020): Lazard’s Levelized Cost of Storage Analysis—Version 6.0. Available online at https://www.lazard.com/media/451418/lazards-levelized-cost-of-storage-version-60.pdf , checked on 12/16/2020.

• IEA (2020): World Energy Model Documentation. 2020 Version. Available online at https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-model/techno-economic-inputs, checked on 11/3/2020.

• Wealer, Ben; Bauer, Simon; Göke, Leonard; Hirschhausen, Christian von; Kemfert, Claudia (2019): High-Priced and Dangerous: Nuclear Power Is Not an Option for the Climate-Friendly Energy Mix. Available online at https://www.diw.de/documents/publikationen/73/diw_01.c.670581.de/dwr-19-30-1.pdf, checked on 1/25/2021.
• Biegert, Claus (Ed.) (2020): Uranium Atlas. Facts and Data about the Raw Material of the Atomic Age. Nuclear Free Foundation; Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung; Beyond Nuclear; IPPNW. Available online at http://www.beyondnuclear.org/uranium-atlas/, checked on 1/25/2021.
• Greenpeace Japan (2017): Unequal Impact. Women’s & Children’s Human Rights Violations and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster. Online hier
• Quintana, Miguel (2019): Fukushima Radiation Hotspots Raise Concerns Ahead of Tokyo Olympics. In Citizen Truth, 12/11/2019. Available online at https://citizentruth.org/fukushima-radiation-hotspots-raise-concerns-ahead-of-tokyo-olympics/ , checked on 1/25/2021.

Quick fact check: "New" reactor concepts

• .ausgestrahlt on the subject of „new“ reactor concepts
• .ausgestrahlt-leaflet "Das Märchen von der Transmutation"

• Pistner, Christoph (2019): Propaganda versus reality of„New Generation of Reactors“ (Gen IV). Conference "Don't Nuke the Climate". Global 2000. Wien, 10/7/2019. Available online at https://www.global2000.at/sites/global/files/RealityNewReactors_DNTC_Conference.pdf, checked on 11/23/2020.
• Schulenberg, Thomas (2020): Die vierte Generation der Kernreaktoren. Grundlagen, Typen und Nutzen verständlich erklärt. 1st ed. 2020. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer.
• Rickover, Hyman (1953): Editorial. In Journal of Reactor Science and Technology 3 (3). Available online at http://ecolo.org/documents/documents_in_english/Rickover.pdf, checked on 1/25/2021.
• Thomas, Steve; Dorfman, Paul; Moris, Sean; Ramana, M. V. (2019): Prospects for Small Modular Reactors in the UK & Worldwide. Nuclear Consulting Group. Available online at https://www.nuclearconsult.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Prospects-for-SMRs-report-2.pdf, checked on 10/27/2020.
• Pistner, C.; Englert, M.; Schmidt, G.; Kirchner, G. (2015): Partitioning & Transmutation. Solution for nuclear waste?, 4/16/2015. Available online at https://www.oeko.de/oekodoc/2305/2015-080-en.pdf , checked on 1/20/2021.

The way forward: Renewable energies

• .ausgestrahlt on the energy transition

• REN 21 (2020): Renewables 2020 Global Status Report. Available online at https://www.ren21.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/gsr_2020_full_report_en.pdf, checked on 10/27/2020.
• Lovins, Amory B. (2019): Does Nuclear Power Slow Or Speed Climate Change? In Forbes, 11/18/2019. Available online at https://www.forbes.com/sites/amorylovins/2019/11/18/does-nuclear-power-slow-or-speed-climate-change/?sh=392e38c506b4 , checked on 1/19/2021.
• Gosden, Emily (2020): Big is not so beautiful in Grid talks to power down. In The Times, 5/5/2020. Available online at https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/big-is-not-so-beautiful-in-grid-talks-to-power-down-8w0qxbtgg, checked on 1/25/2021.
• Engerati (2019): The storage paradox: finding value in volatility. In Engerati, 9/10/2019. Available online at https://www.engerati.com/smart-infrastructure/the-storage-paradox-finding-value-in-volatility/, checked on 1/13/2021.
• Evans-Pritchard, Ambrose (2020): Britain's push for nuclear power makes no sense, unless it is a hidden subsidy for the Royal Navy. In The Telegraph, 12/16/2020. Available online at https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/12/16/britains-push-nuclear-power-makes-no-sense-unless-hidden-subsidy/, checked on 12/21/2020.

• Euronews (2020): France's next aircraft carrier to be nuclear-powered, Macron confirms. In Euronews, 12/8/2020. Available online at https://www.euronews.com/2020/12/08/france-s-next-aircraft-carrier-to-be-nuclear-powered-macron-confirms , checked on 1/20/2021.