| Topic: | Let's mix it | |
| Posted by: | Malcolm Peltu | |
| Date/Time: | 10/01/05 11:17:00 |
| 'Marcel Theroux (the author and presenter) now maintains that we must switch to nuclear power across the world.' More important than the view of an author and TV presenter is that of the respected green environmentalist James Lovelock, he of the Gaia theory of ecological balance, who is one of the sources I imagine he relied on (I didn't see the programme, but Lovelock is a common journalistic source on this). Some month's ago the Independent had a front page story that revealed Lovelock's conversion to nuclear energy as being an important ingredient for a long-term solution to energy needs. This indicates that the argument is not a simple green v non-green one, as does the dispute over wind farms. Nuclear obviously has safety question marks, but it also has positives - as do every other source. As nobody can predict the future, the most sensible approach seems to be to try to have a mixed portfolio of sources with clear risk management approaches to each. Incidentally, in China the demand for coal is escalating to meet the country's rapid economic growth, with global pollution implications. On this global scale, the balancing of economic growth in previously underdeveloped economies with environmental protection is another complex issue without simple green/non-green or market/non-market solutions. |