Resources & Stats
August September 2008
G-8 Agrees on Emissions Reductions
The Group of Eight (G-8) industrialized nations in July said that expansion of nuclear energy will be among the strategies used to reduce greenhouse gases, also including a commitment to, in principle, halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Some members of the G-8 established an international initiative promoting the safe use of nuclear energy. The leaders said that a growing number of countries regard nuclear power as an essential instrument in reducing dependence on fossil fuels and hence greenhouse gas emissions.
James Connaughton, chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality and senior adviser to President Bush, said at the summit, “There is no question—and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has made this clear in its assessments—that nuclear energy, responsibly developed by countries capable of managing it, is an essential component of cutting greenhouse gas emissions.”
Also in this Issue:
A Year After the Japan Quake
Japan’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa is the world’s largest nuclear power station, with seven reactors that have the capacity to generate electricity to meet the needs of seven large cities.
In July 2007, an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck about 10 miles offshore from the plant site. It was the strongest earthquake ever near a nuclear plant. All the reactors shut down safely and all the essential nuclear safety functions, such as automatic reactor shutdown, cooling and containment, worked as designed.
Financing Incentives, Climate Change Policy Boost Nuclear
Industry executives presented the business case for new nuclear reactors at a July 31 seminar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. The seminar is part of a series examining the role of nuclear energy in meeting urgent energy needs and greenhouse gas reductions.
The seminar presented analyses of the evolving economics and financing for new nuclear power plants, and also highlighted the contributions that will be required by the industry’s work force and nuclear infrastructure suppliers to support the expansion of nuclear energy.
Students Gain Invaluable Knowledge At Women in Nuclear Conference
This year’s U.S. Women in Nuclear (WIN) conference gave 40 students a glimpse into the realm of the nuclear energy industry. Representing some 20 colleges and universities, students from across a variety of engineering and science disciplines gained first-hand knowledge of the rewards and challenges professionals face in the nuclear sector.