Why the World May Turn to Nuclear Power

Why the World May Turn to Nuclear Power
Richard Stieglitz; Rick Docksai
1 November 2009, Futurist, IACA, 16, Volume 43; Issue 6; ISSN: 00163317
© 2009 Futurist. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All Rights Reserved.
Demand for fossil fuels may decline, but demand for electric power will soar. Nuclear power, resisted by many, may provide a long-term solution, and it has come a long way since Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.
Within the next 10 years, the world's major economies will choose nuclear power as the clean, high-capacity baseload (i.e., primary) electricity. Nuclear power is experiencing a worldwide rebirth, with 12 countries building 45 new reactors. Nuclear power currently generates 16% of the world's electricity, but by 2030 it will approach 30%.
The global warming situation is dire, and fossil fuels are a major cause: 90% of carbon-dioxide pollution comes from the fossil fuels that generate electricity and provide transportation. Solar energy and wind power are attractive, clean energy sources and will proliferate, but a high-capacity baseload energy is vital: The wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine all the time. Countries are already choosing nuclear as a substitute for the fossil-fueled power plants that intensify the destructive climate changes related to global warming. They will continue to do so as years progress.