Energy: A new nuclear age?

Speakers: Paul Brown; Malcolm Grimston; Jo Kaplinsky; Dr Alexandra Penn. Chair: Dr Dominic Standish. Nuclear energy is being embraced by some as the best solution for meeting rising power needs and respecting the environment. New nuclear plants are under construction in China, India and elsewhere, although in the UK and USA they remain on the drawing board. Across Europe the question of new nuclear plants has been put on the agenda and countries are considering reversing previous commitments to close their nuclear reactors. People want green energy, but are worried about risks – from waste, proliferation and accidents. Nuclears potential is often overshadowed by its destructive history from Hiroshima through to Chernobyl. But are governments too ambivalent today about nuclear to give it the support it needs to succeed? Although political opposition seems to have slackened, with leading environmentalists now voicing their support for nuclear energy as a response to climate change, other difficulties stand in the way: a lack of engineers, shortage of funds for investment and sundry barriers to development. The possibility of nuclear fusion producing energy by joining atomic nuclei rather than splitting them holds out the promise of cheap power without the waste produced by existing fission technology. Yet the promise of cheap clean energy has not been universally welcomed. Some argue that the dream of fusion is a mirage that encourages us to ignore the problems of climate …