Is shifting to nuclear power a good way to reduce emissions and fight climate change?
It’s true that generating electricity from nuclear fuel does not directly produce greenhouse gas emissions. However, nuclear power is not a practical long-term source of energy. Nuclear power is very expensive and is highly subsidized by public funds. The last plant constructed in Canada, at Darlington, Ontario, was billions of dollars over budget when it was completed in the mid-1980s. Its net cost was $4,000 per kilowatt, compared to costs in the $1,000-$1,200 range for current wind power and natural gas power plants. And the Darlington plant was actually cheaper than the average plant built in the U.S. during the same period. Nuclear power creates radioactive waste, and there is no accepted method of storing that waste. Spent fuel will remain radioactive for 250,000 years and storage will be extremely expensive for taxpayers. Finally, nuclear power involves the production and shipment of materials that can be used to make nuclear weapons. This has already created significant securit
