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Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions
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Published on: March 31, 2023

Data trimming, nuclear emissions, and climate change.

Kristin Sharon Shrader-Frechette1

  • 1Department of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA. kshrader@nd.edu

Science and Engineering Ethics
|October 22, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Nuclear energy is often called "carbon free," but this is misleading. A full lifecycle analysis shows nuclear power releases more greenhouse gases than wind and solar, challenging its role in climate change mitigation.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Energy Policy
  • Climate Change Studies

Background:

  • The expansion of global nuclear energy capacity is often justified by claims of being
  • carbon free
  • and free of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE).
  • These claims are widespread among scientists, government officials, and industry leaders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To scientifically evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) associated with the nuclear fuel cycle.
  • To challenge the prevailing notion that nuclear energy is a primary solution for climate change mitigation.
  • To compare the lifecycle GHGE of nuclear power with other energy sources, including renewables and fossil fuels.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of greenhouse gas emissions across the entire nuclear fuel cycle, including uranium mining, processing, and waste management.

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  • Critique of current methodologies for assessing nuclear energy's carbon footprint, including flawed Kyoto Protocol conventions.
  • Comparative assessment of lifecycle GHGE per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for nuclear, fossil fuels, wind, and solar-photovoltaic energy.

    • Main Results:

    • Nuclear energy claims of being
    • carbon free
    • are scientifically questionable due to data trimming and incomplete lifecycle assessments.
    • Underestimation of nuclear-fuel-cycle releases occurs by assuming high-grade uranium ore usage and neglecting full-cycle emissions.
    • Lifecycle GHGE from nuclear power are significantly higher than those from wind and solar-photovoltaic energy, though lower than coal and oil.

    Conclusions:

    • Reducing or avoiding greenhouse gases is not a scientifically sound ethical reason to support the tripling of global nuclear energy capacity.
    • A comprehensive and consistent lifecycle assessment reveals that nuclear power is not a zero-emission energy source.
    • Renewable energy technologies like wind and solar-photovoltaic offer superior greenhouse gas reduction benefits compared to nuclear energy.