Nuclear Industry Buying Revival, Clean Energy Losing Out

In case you missed it, the makings of a nuclear power revival are in the works in Europe that may have unfortunate consequences here at home and across the world. Instead of investing in a new energy economy, we could end up throwing billions and billions down the nuclear drain.

The story's unfolding like this: Yesterday, the UK officially gave the green light to build a new generation of nuclear power plants after a 20-year plus moratorium. Following hot on the heels of the UK decision, Italy showed signs that it too will rethink its 20-year nuclear ban. Same with Ireland. Meanwhile, Finland is building the world's biggest next generation nuclear plant. And France, a well-known leader in nuclear power generation, is the industry's most faithful friend.

Germany, however, is not likely to follow suit. At least not yet. Prime Minister Angela Merkel is pro-nuclear, but the country has a nuclear exit program firmly in place that calls for its end by 2021. Spain too has vowed to curb its nuclear dependence with no immediate sign of a turnaround.

It may be a Europe divided, but the scales are tilting toward a pro-nuclear world. The Guardian today explains why this a colossal mistake:

Strategically, the decision represents a huge failure: a failure to get a grip on the imminent shortfall in domestic energy supply; a failure to ramp up renewables early enough; and a failure to think creatively about how Britain gets and uses its energy.

Those aren't the only failures. If the US and the world's other major economies give new life to nuclear en masse (expected), it may go down in history as the most unfortunate, unintended consequence of the global climate change awareness movement. A failure in some ways, however unintended.

In broad strokes, the goal of climate action has always been a transformation of the energy economy to carbon-free, clean and renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power. Not the kind of carbon-free energy that's wholly dependent on uranium -- yet another diminishing, unsustainable, deadly and dirty substance. And certainly not the kind that swaps big coal and oil for another retrograde industry.

So how on Earth did this happen?

In the UK, it appears the government simply caved in to the powerful nuclear industry lobbyists. And since nuclear is incorrectly -- though deliberately -- called "clean" energy, the public swallowed it hook, line and sinker.

Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee explains how it all went down:

The nuclear cause has been on a roll as Labour and Conservatives have felt the sheer grinding pressure of the nuclear industry, the engineering institutes and a host of powerful interests who have employed useful ex-Labour ministers such as Brian Wilson, Ian McCartney and Richard Caborn, and Bernard Ingham. The pro-nuclear army has been heavily supporting the anti-wind farm brigade. The unions have strongly backed nuclear, because that's where they have some members. They would have few among the 250,000 new jobs created by equivalent spending on renewables and a door-to-door energy efficiency drive.

So: Big Nuclear put its money behind the anti-wind farm campaign. Since renewable energy groups don't have a dollop of lobbyist power and influence relative to the nuclear industry, they didn't have a prayer. Unfortunate really. The renewables industry promises to create 250,000 new jobs in the UK, breathe new life into a stale economy, while nuclear promises nothing but business-as-usual. It's yet another costly, taxpayer-supported energy industry that will have no trickle down effects to your average citizen. Poynbee explains:

This is like a conned householder buying another new roof from the same cowboy who destroyed the last one.

Beware: It's the same story here in America.

Clean energy has no lobby to speak of in Washington and no wealth to buy influence. Evidence the energy bill that was signed by President Bush in December 2007. The US Senate and the president slashed the dollars for investments in solar and wind that the House included in a draft bill, while taxpayer-funded subsidies to the oil industry remained intact.

It's too early to write the ending of America's nuclear tale. We're in the midst of a presidential race, and there's still a chance for real climate leadership to prevail. So keep New Year's resolution #2 in mind in the coming months when you cast your votes, Pursue Clean Energy with Moonshot Zeal:

Clean energy will be the engine of economic prosperity in coming decades -- it's where the new jobs and the new prosperity are to be found. Without a lobby, there's only the overwhelming power of the ballot box that can speak and force the needed change that would indeed be historic.

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