RE: Humans Raise Risk of Europe Heatwaves -Global Warming vs. NuclearElectric Generation

[farbersa <farbersa@optonline.net>]

Colleagues:



Before anyone questions my rough estimate in my prior post about  

greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, I  ballparked, going on a  

back of the envelope estimate that the carbon dioxide emissions equivalent  

avoided with current nuclear generation as something over one billion  

tons/year.



For a more accurate estimate, the Australian Uranium Information Center  

supplies the following information about carbon dioxide emissions avoided  

by current nuclear power generation worldwide. Compared to coal, today's  

nuclear generation avoids the release of 2.4 billion metric tons per year  

of CO-2 [or about half this much if all the generation were provided by  

natural gas].



Regards,

Stewart Farber



See:



The Excerpt below from:

http://www.uic.com.au/nip11.htm



=============

World Energy Needs and Nuclear Power

Greenhouse Gases



"On a global scale nuclear power currently reduces carbon dioxide  

emissions by some 2.4 billion tonnes per year (relative to the main  

alternative of coal-fired generation, - natural gas would directly produce  

about half as much). Carbon dioxide accounts for half of the  

human-contributed portion of the global warming effect of the atmosphere.



The UN Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change has comprehensively  

reviewed global warming and has reached a consensus that the phenomenon is  

real and does pose a significant environmental threat during the next  

century if fossil fuel use continues even at present global levels.



According to the IPCC, to stabilise the carbon dioxide concentration in  

the atmosphere at present levels, a 50-80 per cent reduction in all  

emissions would be required. Nuclear power has a role to play in reducing  

greenhouse gases. Every 22 tonnes of uranium (26 t U3O8) used saves one  

million tonnes of carbon dioxide relative to coal."-



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