General

Nuclear power: will it destroy or save the world?

The cold hard facts One billion people go to sleep every night without access to electricity. Two and a half billion people do not have access to clean cooking fuels or heating fuels to take care of their families. These statistics, highlighted in a TED-talk by energy scholar Joe Lassiter, are absolutely staggering. It is shocking to realise for us, in the western world, that there are many in developing countries living without things that we would consider a basic need. Just imagine telling your teenage son that there will be no more television at night. Or your 14-year-old daughter that there’ll be no more internet at home. Yet the issue of expanding the power grids and guaranteeing access to electricity or fuels is a double-edged sword that cuts much deeper than the simple logistics of increasing coverage. As it stands, the world is already pushing the envelope of what we can actually generate. The exploitation of fossil fuels and scarce resources have brought us to the edge of a deadly cliff. We are waging a war with Mother Nature that we are bound to lose - if the increasing volume and severity of natural disasters is anything to go by. Building nuclear reactors There are solutions. One of the most frequently mentioned - and definitely most debated - being the construction of new nuclear reactors. Wait, hold on. The same nuclear reactors that we are working so hard to get rid of? That we, ever since disasters in Chernobyl and Fukushima, have vowed to replace by safer and greener alternatives? Yes. Those. In order to understand this movement, some key elements have to be understood. First of all, modern reactors are much safer than their notorious counterparts. At the same time, they are cleaner than most of the alternatives involving coal or other fossil fuels while generating much more energy at a lower cost. Their major downside is its negative image, fuelled by fears for nuclear mishaps leaving large areas uninhabitable. Nuclear reactors around the world Some of the world’s largest nations still heavily depend on nuclear power for their electricity needs, including the United States, France, Russia and Spain. Growth economies are in the process of constructing a large number of new plants, including in the Middle East, India, China and Pakistan. The sheer number of people living in those countries that require energy, plus the promises made in the Paris treaty towards fighting global warming and drastically reducing harmful emissions, have swayed their political leaders to be in favour of those nuclear giants. But who can blame them? They are doing what is best for their people. As the billions of people that previously lived in poverty move towards a more prosperous life, this inevitably includes access to gas, to electricity, to resources. We are struggling to live up to the demand as it is today, let alone what would happen if all 7,7 billion of us would want to turn on the light at the same time. Break the nuclear taboo Just as we are unwilling to let go of our newfound luxuries that run on electricity or other scarce resources, so will those billions who are just now being introduced to it. Demand will double, triple, you name it - while we are fussing about sustainable ways of meeting it. And the best part? We will only start using more energy as we get access to more. Increased supply will drive up demand. It is a cycle that we cannot break free from. Nor will it be realistic to assume that it can fully be met through renewable sources like solar, wind and water energy. Coming back to the issue of nuclear power. It is understandable that many, especially those who lived through the disasters in the past, are hesitant to embrace the idea of more nuclear power plants. Experts largely agree that they have become safer and more reliable, yet do not rule out the potential for disaster at this time. Not to mention the costs and time associated with their construction and maintenance and the headache of decommissioning. But it might just be time to put our heads together and break through the nuclear taboo. Coming together and finding ways of tackling those issues, working towards a safe and clean implementation of nuclear energy, might be our best shot at preserving our world while getting all of us the resources we need in this day and age. https://www.whatsorb.com/waste/finlands-solution-to-nuclear-waste-storage-may-set-an-example-for-the-world

Nuclear power: will it destroy or save the world?

Guiding India towards a ecological sustainable nation. If we make efforts today to guide India towards an ecologically sustainable and socially inclusive nation, that will benefit more than 17 percent of the world's population, says Frank Rijsberman, director of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). "A sustainable future for India has an impact on the entire world."At the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) our attention is drawn to the impressive economic performance of India and the progress made by the more than 1.32 billion people in terms of revenue and general well-being. With an annual GDP growth of about 7 percent, it becomes clear that this must be accompanied by a vision of sustainability and social inclusion. It must be our biggest priority. Growth potential Given the enormous growth potential of India, it is important to provide green solutions to support this growth rate. Green, low-CO2 solutions are of great importance in the development of services that provide clean water, sanitation and energy for everyone. This goes hand in hand with the guarantee of a resilient Indian ecology, the ability of the country to adapt to the effects of climate change and the possibility for the poorest people to also participate in economic activities and opportunities to do so. can grab. As the third largest energy consumer in the world, India is making major efforts to improve access to energy Policy choices are important for achieving resilient ecosystems. After all, strong and growing economies are seeing their energy needs rise. As the third largest energy consumer in the world, India is making major efforts to improve access to energy through programs that bring electricity to the countryside and supply households with electricity. However, as energy consumption in India grows and the access to electricity of some 50 million extra families becomes reality, the government's decisions to strengthen the country's economy will have far-reaching implications for India's sustainability. Innovative technology The use of modern technology to keep greenhouse gas emissions in check can make a big difference in achieving inclusive and sustainable growth. The collaboration between the GGGI, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation in Bangalore, and other stakeholders to launch the first electric buses in India is a good example of how innovation at local level can produce positive results in terms of energy efficiency. The success of this project is in line with the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), the efforts made by the country to reduce CO2 emissions and improve energy efficiency. Successful green growth projects, such as the bus project in Bangalore, have an impact on at least two key areas: they are successful experiences and demonstrate the value of national governments that prioritize sustainability issues; and more importantly, they point to the benefits in the longer term and to the return on green projects. The latter is important because it can attract more investments and thus enable more growth. Electric bus in India, Bangalore. Solar energy GGGI endorses the importance of financing programs that demonstrate the benefits of green technology solutions to power the country. We support the establishment of a debt fund for the realization of an energy sector alongside the electricity grid. We will continue to develop innovative funding models to convince more actors to engage, especially small and medium-sized companies that usually only see the enormous risks. Development organizations and governments can work together to achieve their common goal. For example, India has taken a commendable step with the International Solar Alliance. Our experience has shown us that working together with various partners offers enormous advantages for electrifying a country, in particular to increase the presence of solar energy systems, even to the most marginal households. At GGGI we see a healthy ecosystem when investors, lenders and development institutions share the financial burden. We therefore strive to increase the number of investors and funds that are committed to climate-proof investments. The New Climate Economy report confirms that the Investment Platform for Climate Action has attracted investors with a combined capital of 125,000 billion dollars. This can inspire governments around the world not to rely solely on budgetary resources. Delivering green ambitions The most important task today is to ensure that countries take daring measures to achieve the reduction of CO2 emissions. We encourage ambitious goals and provide support for their implementation. India attaches great importance to sustainability, technology transfer and capacity building. These are essential ingredients to realize the green ambitions. The International Solar Alliance is there to share knowledge. GGGI will work closely with the countries within this solar alliance. We will share our knowledge and experience about sustainable energy with India and offer a platform where other countries in the region and the rest of the world can receive information. With these efforts and the support of governments to make green policy choices, we are proposing a sustainable, greener planet. We have high expectations of the alliance but also see a sustainable future for India and for the world. Because sustainable growth definitely will accelerate through this global partnership. By: Frank Rijsberman is director of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). Cover photo: Scroll In

The greening of India is good for the whole world