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Some Facts on Nuclear Power and the Climate Crisis

Here are a few pertinent facts on nuclear power and the climate crisis: * While atomic reactors themselves are not major carbon emitters, the nuclear fuel chain produces significant greenhouse emissions. Taken together, the fuel chain greenhouse emissions approach those of natural gas?and are far higher than emissions from renewable energy sources and energy efficiency technologies. * Nuclear power does not work well in warming climates. The summer of 2004’s heat wave across Europe caused many reactors to reduce power levels and even shut down entirely because of dwindling river levels. Reactors require vast quantities of water to keep the core cool; changes in water levels and temperatures greatly affects reactor operations. * According to a 2004 MIT study and the National Commission on Energy Policy’s report, about 1,500 large new reactors would have to be built worldwide to make a meaningful dent in greenhouse emissions. Operation of that many new reactors (currently about 440 exist) would cause known uranium reserves to run out in just a couple of decades?making nuclear power a temporary solution at best or requiring a global program of dirty, dangerous and proliferation-prone reprocessing. * Operation of 1,500 or more new reactors would create the need […]

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US Navy Inaugurates Hawaii's Largest Federal Solar Electric System

This week, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii (NAVFAC Hawaii) and PowerLight Corporation held a ceremony to celebrate the installation of the largest federal photovoltaic array in Hawaii. The 309kW PowerLight PowerGuard solar electric rooftop system, located atop Ford Island’s Building 54 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, will generate clean and reliable electricity for the Navy. The array covers 31,000 square feet of roof space, and incorporates 1,545 solar panels made by Sharp Corporation. During the daytime, this solar system generates energy equivalent to that normally used to power over 300 homes. “The deployment of solar power at NAVFAC Hawaii demonstrates the Navy’s commitment to using energy management practices that reduce operational costs and protect the environment,” said Captain Richard D. Roth, commanding officer, NAVFAC Hawaii. “Using clean generation is very consistent with the Navy’s ongoing efforts to leverage superior operational expertise and technologies.” The array’s solar power will be added to the Navy’s electrical grid at Pearl Harbor and provide additional peak shaving power during the busiest part of the work day. Not only will it reduce the demand on Hawaiian Electric Company’s power grid, it will improve air quality by avoiding thousands of tons of polluting nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide […]

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