Foreign Policy 150 (September/October, 2005) http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3250 Think Again: Nuclear Energy By Benjamin K. Sovacool With worldwide demand for energy soaring along with oil prices, nuclear energy is increasingly seen as the answer to curbing greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. Even committed greens are warming to nuclear energy. Unfortunately, nuclear power plants are not the answer to our energy needs, and they’re not as eco- friendly as they appear. “Nuclear Power Is Dead” False. Although most U.S. nuclear power plants are more than 20 years old, concern about climate change is reviving the nuclear power industry. The Kyoto Protocol, which entered into force for 141 countries this year, aims to cut back on global greenhouse gas emissions. This pressure has driven interest in nuclear reactors, which many erroneously consider a “zero carbon dioxide emission” technology. Judith M. Greenwald of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change has noted that “the imperative to decarbonize the future world energy economy to mitigate climate change provides strong motivation to keep the nuclear power option open.” Three large U.S. utilities—Exelon, Entergy, and Dominion—have filed early site permits with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the construction of new nuclear plants in Illinois, Mississippi, and Virginia, respectively. For its part, the energy bill recently passed by congress provides significant support to the nuclear industry. The legislation extends liability limits for nuclear accidents for another 20 years, authorizes the construction of new Department of Energy (DOE) research reactors, and establishes hefty loan and insurance programs to make the construction of new nuclear reactors more attractive. Enriching material: Like India, Japan, and Russia, China is planning to build more nuclear power plants such as this one in Guangan in China's Sichuan Province. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images 1