Intergenerational issues regarding nuclear power, nuclear waste, and nuclear weapons

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Nuclear Engineering
• Public Policy

Background:

• Nuclear power generates public concern due to radioactive waste and weapons proliferation.
• Global warming and greenhouse gas reduction efforts are increasing interest in nuclear power.
• Long-term radioactive waste management necessitates 10,000-year isolation, often justified by intergenerational equity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the challenges of nuclear power, waste, and weapons.
• To explore the ethical and economic implications of long-term radioactive waste isolation.
• To evaluate discounting as an alternative to intergenerational equity for nuclear risk management.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of nuclear power, waste management, and weapons proliferation.
• Analysis of intergenerational equity arguments versus economic discounting.
• Examination of global trends in nuclear weapons possession.

Main Results:

• Nuclear power faces public opposition due to waste and weapons concerns, despite climate change benefits.
• Intergenerational equity arguments for 10,000-year waste isolation place high value on future lives.
• Discounting, a common resource management tool, presents an alternative approach to valuing future impacts.
• Nuclear weapons continue to proliferate, posing a significant risk to future generations.

Conclusions:

• Balancing nuclear power's benefits against its long-term risks requires careful consideration of waste management and societal values.
• Discounting may offer a more pragmatic approach to managing long-term nuclear legacies than strict intergenerational equity.
• The increasing number of nuclear weapons worldwide represents a critical and unresolved threat to global security.