Why even environmentalists are supporting nuclear power today
NPR Online NewsAug 30, 2022
Japan Lifts Operational Ban on World's Biggest Nuclear Plant
The Facts
Japan's nuclear watchdog has officially lifted its order banning the transfer of nuclear fuel within Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) Kashiwazaki-Kariwa power plant, reaffirming that the company is qualified as a nuclear power plant operator.
On Wednesday, the Nuclear Regulation Authority unanimously decided to revoke the effective operational ban after it approved a draft report submitted by its secretariat that revealed TEPCO had set up a system to improve the plant's anti-terrorism measures.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Concerns about climate change, national security, and unreliable electrical grids have pushed the world to recognize that nuclear power has long been wrongfully stigmatized in national and international debate. Nuclear power is a zero-carbon, reliable energy source, and is far safer than other alternatives, such as coal and natural gas, in terms of deaths resulting from accidents and pollution.
Establishment-critical narrative
Though it would be easy to genuinely believe the revival of nuclear energy will solve ongoing crises, including climate breakdown, closer scrutiny shows an opposing reality. As atomic reactors risk being weaponized, nuclear power is less reliable or safe than its advocates claim. The world should be investing in weather-based renewable energy.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that at least 8.3% of global primary energy consumption will be produced by nuclear power in 2040, according to the Metaculus prediction community.