Insurmountable Risks: The Dangers of Using Nuclear Power to Combat Global Climate Change

by Brice Smith

Publisher: IEER Press and RDR Books

Year Published: 2006

Pages: 448 pp.

Binding: Paperback

"How much will nuclear energy cost relative to other means of getting rid of carbon dioxide emissions? What will be the risks of catastrophic accidents if we build reactors at the rate of one a week or more, cookie-cutter style around the world? What about the risks of proliferation and terrorist attacks and nuclear waste?

"This is the book if you have been waiting for a careful and thorough analysis of the risks of using nuclear energy to combat global warming. It is meticulously researched. Were there no alternative, the severity of the threat facing humankind and other species from global climate change might well warrant serious consideration of the risks of nuclear energy. Fortunately, this book convincingly shows that there are far safer economical alternatives.

"Before buying into the idea that nuclear energy is going to save us from global climate change because of its theoretical potential for low carbon dioxide emissions, read this book. And then work for the alternatives."

– Arjun Makhijani, a.k.a. Dr. Egghead

Press Release and Statements

Nuclear Power Is Risky Solution for Addressing Climate Change: New Book Documents Accident, Proliferation, Contamination Dangers, Details Safer Carbon Dioxide Reduction Alternatives

Press Release by IEER

June 20, 2006

Table of Contents

Foreword: The return of the nuclear messiahs

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Chapter One: The World of Tomorrow and Yesterday

Section 1.1 - From Peaceful Panacea to Environmental Necessity

Section 1.2 - The Realities of Climate Change

Section 1.3 - Case Study: the MIT Nuclear Power Report

Chapter Two: The White Elephant

Section 2.1 - The Projected Cost of Nuclear Power

Section 2.1.1 - Lowering the Capital Cost and Construction Time

Section 2.1.2 - Reducing the Financial Risk Premium

Section 2.1.3 - Impact of Potential Cost Improvements

Section 2.1.4 - Summary of Nuclear Power Economics

Section 2.2 - The Economics of Nuclear Power as a Carbon Mitigation Strategy

Section 2.2.1 - "Carbon-Free" Portfolios

Section 2.2.2 - Direct Taxation of Carbon Emissions

Section 2.3 - Alternatives for the Near-Term (2006 - 2020)

Section 2.3.1 - The Economics of Efficiency

Section 2.3.2 - The Power of Wind

Section 2.3.3 - Summary of Near-Term Options

Section 2.4 - Alternatives for the Medium-Term (2020 - 2050)

Section 2.4.1 - Liquefied Natural Gas and Fuel Switching

Section 2.4.2 - Increased Use of Wind and Other Renewable Energy Resources

Section 2.4.3 - Coal Gasification

Section 2.4.4 - Carbon Capture and Storage

Section 2.5 - Conclusions

Chapter Three: Megawatts and Mushroom Clouds

Section 3.1 - Uranium Enrichment

Section 3.2 - Reprocessing and the Plutonium Economy

Section 3.3 - Tritium Production

Section 3.4 - Strengthening Non-Proliferation Efforts

Section 3.4.1 - Enhanced Inspections under the IAEA

Section 3.4.2 - Restricting Access to Fuel Cycle Technologies

Section 3.4.3 - Increased Consequences for Suspected Proliferators

Section 3.4.4 - Disarmament and Nonproliferation

Section 3.5 - Conclusions

Chapter Four: A Culture of Safety?

Section 4.1 - The Record of Safety

Section 4.1.1 - The Problems of Youth

Section 4.1.2 - The Problems of Aging

Section 4.1.3 - The Problems of New Reactors

Section 4.2 - The Impacts of A Catastrophic Accident

Section 4.2.1 - Human Consequences of an Accident

Section 4.2.2 - Economic Consequences of an Accident

Section 4.2.3 - The Risks from the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Section 4.2.4 - Safety and Public Opinion

Section 4.3 - Probabilistic Risk Assessments

Section 4.3.1 - The Rasmussen Report and the History of the PRA Methodology

Section 4.3.2 - Issues of General Completeness

Section 4.3.3 - "Human Factors"

Section 4.3.4 - Computers and Digital Control Systems

Section 4.3.5 -Expert Judgment and Uncertainties of Methodology

Section 4.4 - Safety of an Expansion of Nuclear Power

Section 4.5 - Conclusions

Chapter Five: The Legacy of Nuclear Waste

Section 5.1 -Disposal of "Low-Level" Nuclear Waste

Section 5.2 - Geologic Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High- Level Waste

Section 5.2.1 - General Uncertainties Regarding Geologic Disposal

Section 5.2.2 - The History of Geologic Disposal in the United States

Section 5.2.3 - Ready, Fire, Aim… The DOE Strategy at Yucca Mountain

Section 5.2.4 - Engineered Barriers at Yucca Mountain, the Changing Focus

Section 5.2.5 - The "Technical" versus "Legal" Limit at Yucca Mountain

Section 5.2.6 - Additional Concerns Regarding Yucca Mountain

Section 5.3 - Transportation of Spent Fuel

Section 5.4 - Alternative Waste Management Strategies

Section 5.4.1 - Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS)

Section 5.4.2 - Separation, Transmutation, and MOX Fuel

Section 5.4.3 - Deep Boreholes

Section 5.5 - Conclusions

Chapter Six: Looking Back, Moving Forward

Appendix A: Uranium Supply and Demand

Section A.1 - Estimates of Uranium Resources

Section A.2 - Estimates of Uranium Production Capacity

Section A.3 - Stretching Uranium Resources

Section A.4 - Estimates for Cumulative Uranium Demand

Section A.5 - Impacts of Uranium Supply and Demand on Proliferation

References

Endnotes