World takes the nuclear option while we turn our faces to the wind

THE world is going nuclear, but not Ireland. As many as 40 countries are making preparations dramatically to reduce their fossil fuel dependency by introducing or greatly increasing their nuclear power generating capacity. They are doing so for two reasons: the finite capacity of oil reserves and the impact of burning fossil fuels on the production of carbon emissions which, in turn, increase global warming.

Nuclear is their answer and that’s even in countries with massive oil reserves or which are less wealthy than us. Russia, for example, plans to build 42 new domestic nuclear reactors between now and 2030. China intends to increase its nuclear capacity fivefold by 2020 and then triple that again by 2030. Famously, Iran, with its vast oil reserves, wants to build its own nuclear domestic power generation plants.

The world has 438 nuclear power plants as it is, but that number is set to multiply, with the US planning to add 35 more.