Day 147: Nuclear

Dinner Menu:

• Salade verte
• Ravioli aux truffes
• Carré de chocolat noir

Yesterday Nicolas Hulot (the French Environment Minister) resigned from the government because of his frustration at the lack of concrete progress on these issues.  As it happens my son is interviewing for a job at a nuclear construction site in the UK (I don't think there is a link between these two events).  However it allows me to state my position on nuclear electricity.  I feel strongly that nuclear power plants are the best alternative to coal, oil and gas power generation at the moment.  Ultimately as prices come down I'm sure the share renewable will continue to grow but this will be a long process.  In view of the urgent need to reduce CO2 production we need to have other solutions to bridge the gap.  If we switched from carbon based to nuclear fuels worldwide we would reduce our CO2 emission by 40% which is half what we need to achieve by 2033 if we are to meet the minimal targets agreed in the Paris Environmental Accords.  I feel this is much more important issue than the disposal of nuclear waste which remains a manageable if not insignificant problem.