February 6, 2009
2:31 PM
Energy/Alternative Energy
Yesterday, the Swedish government announced a plan to overturn a 1980 referendum that banned nuclear power. The referendum banned the construction of new nuclear facilities and called for existing facilities to be phased out. Nuclear power was never entirely phased out in Sweden; of twelve reactors that existed at the time of the referendum, only two have been shut down. The remaining ten reactors supply the country with about 50% of its energy. The decision to overturn this referendum still needs to pass through the Swedish parliament, but if it is implemented, the remaining reactors will likely be replaced by newer facilities and entirely new reactors will be built across the country. This decision comes as the climate crisis has emerged as a major issue affecting government policy worldwide. In addition to increasing production of nuclear power, the plan calls for more renewable energies, such as wind power. Public support for this decision is growing, and if the parliament passes the plan, Sweden will join a growing list of nations reconsidering their stance on nuclear power, including Britain, France, and Poland.
I think this is an important step towards the future of global energy production. While nuclear power is not the safest way to produce energy, it is among the cleanest as it doesn't produce nearly as much greenhouse gases as other methods do, such as coal. I believe that nuclear is a good option for the near future, but I also believe that investment in other forms of renewable energy are vital to our future. Hopefully, we can get to a place where nuclear power can be legitimately phased out without threatening to disrupt a nation's energy supply and security. For the time being, however, it is important that these governments and any other considering a return to nuclear power provide massive oversight to ensure the absolute safety and efficiency of these facilities.
http:/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7871824.stm
2 comments:
I think this is a smart move for the future! 50% of Sweedens power is already supplied by nuclear reactors, which I think is amazing. They are being smart with their energy and more countries need to be like this, which definitely includes the United States.
This is probably a good move. The energy crisis is a really serious thing, and it's good to see a country trying to come up with a solution.
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