The pros and cons of nuclear power in the South

Last month SciDev.Net published an editorial that examined whether developing countries should be moving towards nuclear power (seeShould developing nations embrace nuclear energy?).

在这里,5。世界各地的读者d respond. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the individuals’ institutions.

Follow the links below to read each comment.

Developing nations are not ready for nuclear power
No need for nuclear in world’s sun belt
核must be in the mix for a sustainable future
在核辩论中，不得忘记成本和浪费
核energy is costly but could kick-start development

Developing nations are not ready for nuclear power

Emad Flear, industrial research scientist, Berliner Elektronenspeicherring-Gesellschaft für Synchrotronstrahlung m.b.H, Berlin, Germany (www.bessy.de)

核energy is indeed useful, especially in light of global warming and rapid population growth. But for various reasons, developing countries are still not ready to handle this technology.

首先，他们缺乏安全操作核电站所需的经验丰富的工程师和科学家。发展中国家将需要花费大量资金培训所需人员。

This money could be invested in simpler technologies that are easier to handle, provide good supplies of energy and are safe. In my native Egypt, for instance, solar and wind energy have become real alternatives.

应当指出的是，一些工业化国家（例如德国）正在从核能转向这些可再生能源。

An additional reason to be cautious about nuclear energy in the South is the rise of terrorist groups who could target nuclear power stations. At the same time, some developing countries that obtain nuclear technology may try to use it to develop nuclear weapons as well as power stations.

我并不完全反对将核技术转移给发展中国家，但我相信大多数人还没有准备好。

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No need for nuclear in world’s sun belt

Gerry Wolff, coordinator, TREC-UK, United Kingdom (www.trec-uk.org.uk)

社论包含一些关于权力来源的高度误导和不准确的陈述。特别是，它说，可再生能源不太可能满足世界快速增长的城市人口的能源需求，而且技术，环境和安全因素已经推动了风险收益的平衡，而不是核电。beplay足球体育的微博

但是，德国联邦环境部委托的2006年6月报告，自然保护和核安全也建议。beplay足球体育的微博它说，欧洲可以使用在中东和北非产生的“集中太阳能”（CSP），到2050年将发电的碳排放量减少70％，并在2050年逐步淘汰核电。

CSP involves using mirrors to concentrate sunlight to create heat, which is used to convert water to steam that generates electricity in the conventional way. The report can be downloaded from这里。

It should be read in conjunction with the earlier报告that shows how CSP, with other forms of renewable energy, can meet all current and future electricity needs in the Middle East and North Africa.

The same will be true for other countries in the world’s sun belt, many of which are relatively poor.

These two reports are thorough and highly professional. They deserve close attention by all those concerned with energy supplies in all parts of the world. The concepts and policies described in the reports should be carefully considered at the highest levels.

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核must be in the mix for a sustainable future

Edward G. Wallace, senior general manager — US programs, Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Pty Ltd, United States

After 35 years working in the energy sector, I marvel at the continued segregation in the energy debate about which technology should be chosen and why.

这种简单的观点使每个选项的支持者和反对者都可以隔离更大的前景来使辩论两极化 - 那就是能源需求在发达国家和发展中国家和地区的供应范围很大。

There is no single solution — all options have a place in the mix, but they are not all available everywhere. Some countries are blessed with natural resources and some are not, so the choices must be location-specific.

在建立可持续能源供应时必须考虑经济现实。政府补贴隐藏了某些能源选择的真正市场成本，使某些人认为可再生能源是经济的。但是，如果是的话，供求定律将很久以前占据，并确保在能源组合中可再生能源的地方。

We cannot wait for nuclear fusion or other options not available today before we make sound decisions on our energy future. The time for action is now. Old fossil-fuel power plants are reaching the end of their lifetimes faster than most people realise, and are the most polluting in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and solid waste volumes.

Around the globe, power failures are becoming common because policies for a secure and responsible energy future have been caught up in the hype over nuclear waste disposal and operational safety.

必须通过关注大局的整体政策来解决能源问题，而不是迷失在误解和恐惧策略的细节中，这使今天的辩论蒙上了困难。

核power must be safely developed and deployed globally if there is to be any hope for a better environment and a better way of life for all.

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在核辩论中，不得忘记成本和浪费

Tom Hopper, United States

The editorial glosses over two important issues. First, pollution — while nuclear energy nearly eliminates the emission of greenhouse gases, its radioactive by-products are among the most toxic substances, and remain so for thousands of years.

There is simply no way to store this waste safely over such a long time. At some point in the future it is likely to leach into the environment, becoming a pollutant far more dangerous than greenhouse gases.

第二个问题是成本。尽管与煤炭，石油或其他能源相比，核燃料的价格非常便宜，但运行核电站的资本和非燃料运营成本使其发电量比其他来源的电力贵得多。

Where nuclear energy is used, much of this cost differential is hidden by government subsidies funded by taxpayers. Even the best projections for the most advanced power plants show that nuclear power will be far more expensive than competing technologies for the foreseeable future.

There is at present no good solution, but the most promising, contrary to your editorial, is solar power. Much of the world’s electricity needs could be met by solar power, and with an appropriate distribution grid, it could supply all of the world’s electricity needs.

The capital costs of solar technologies, while currently prohibitive, are falling rapidly. With appropriate government policies to help reduce these costs over the next 15 years, solar could easily compete on price with coal and oil. After that period, there would be no need for subsidies for solar.

In fact, nearly every developing country could run its entire economy on solar for less than they currently pay for coal, and far less than they can expect to pay for nuclear.

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核energy is costly but could kick-start development

Nathan Eweoya, Natflo Solar Nigeria Limited

鉴于其许多财务，政治和环境成本，发展中国家通常不应开始采用核电。beplay足球体育的微博对于他们而言，追求太阳能技术的许多优势是最可取的。

但是，如果获得核电可以帮助改变权力的平衡，为什么发展中国家应受到世界发达经济体的摆布呢？换句话说，如果核电有助于解放世界其他勤奋的国家，为什么他们不采用它？

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