GLOBAL CLIMATE DEBATE

It is somewhat doubtful that even in the United States, efficiency and renewables alone can satisfy future energy needs.

Many prominent climate scientists like Dr. James Hansen believe that improved forms of nuclear energy are needed to implement any practical "global warming solutions" plan. Several Generation-4 nuclear reactor designs (including the Gen-4 Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor) currently in research development worldwide hold out the confident promise of dramatically reducing production of nuclear waste (less than one hundredth the amount) [1] as well as improved safety and lower cost.

Responsible analysts like Professor Richard Muller of UC Berkeley believe that future carbon emissions will not come primarily from the currently industrialized world, but from the emerging economies, especially China. Future Green House Gas emissions from the developing economies in Asia will totally swamp reductions achieved at significant economic sacrifice in the West. In recent Copenhagen climate debates, China, which currently emits 30% more CO2 per year than the U.S., has not promised to cut actual emissions.

If we are serious about addressing the threat of global warming, influential shapers of public sentiment like Mr. Peter Byck should consider if it is likely that the energy needs of China and India can be entirely met the solutions he recommends (efficiency and renewables).

Professor Richard Muller of UC Berkeley has prepared an important analysis that should be brought to the awareness of decision makers. Information regarding how crucial the new developing economies in Asia are to averting climate catastrophe has been compiled into an article by Professor Muller which can be found at:
http://www.mullerandassociates.com/nakedcopenhagendetail.php

If future emissions from the developing nations of Asia are key to a real "global warming solution" we need to select solutions that China and India will accept. Efficiency and renewables need to be coupled with a good scalable high quality non-GHG generating baseload energy source like nuclear energy to form a complete energy solution.

You could supply all of the electricity the United States generated by burning coal in 2009 (1764486 thousand Megawatt-hours of energy) by building approximately 140 Gen-4 Thorium fueled 1600 MW(e) LFTR reactors and produce less nuclear waste than is currently produced by two conventional 1600 MW(e) Light Water Reactors.

[1] Le Brun, C., "Impact of the MSBR concept technology on long lived radio toxicity and
proliferation resistance"
http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/04/14/97/PDF/document_IAEA.pdf