The Case for Including Nuclear Power in Climate Change Mitigation Programs

Suzanne Waldman
PhD Student, Communications
Carleton University

Nuclear power is the only source of power that has historically been effective at displacing large proportions of fossil fuels, but it tends to be sidelined in discussions and policy-making for climate change mitigation. Some justifications for excluding nuclear power are issues of safety and waste disposal, capital expense, and public perception. Yet an increasing number of ecologists and others are calling for these obstacles to be overcome or put in proportion so that nuclear power can be considered an acceptable option for climate change mitigation.