“The Green Nuclear Option” offers a logical argument for considering nuclear power as one of the best options to deal with the climate crisis of the 21st century. Nuclear technology is decades old and has stood the test of time, becoming even more reliable and safe, incorporating the lessons learned from accident assessments. Carbon-free nuclear power is the only mature technology available to power the world away from greenhouse gas emissions.
This book is about the conflation of nuclear engineering and climate change, beginning with a history lesson that separates the origins of the atom bomb from the subsequent engineering of nuclear reactors. The destructive power of atomic bombs has ever cast a shadow over the potential bounty of taming the energy stored in the atomic nucleus for human good, but The Green Nuclear Option lays out the facts about its magnitude, global disposition, and why fuel recycling would greatly reduce the burden.
The human race is running an uncontrolled physics experiment with the only home we have. There is little time to waste, and renewables can't do it all. Nuclear power plants need to play a key, bridging role to a survivable future.
