In the first half of the 19th Century, the approximately 1 billion inhabitants of planet Earth derived primary power from �renewable� wood, wind, water, and muscle power � civilization advanced and population grew. The second half of the 19th and the 20th Century was the age of fossil carbon discovery and exploitation during which 85-95% of primary power in the U.S. has been provided by coal, petroleum, and natural gas. During this period, the developed world experienced tremendous technological growth and in general human longevity increased (despite two world wars), as did the global population base (2 billion in 1927, 3 billion in 1960). At the beginning of the 21st century, global population exceeds 7 billion and is projected to exceed 9 billion by 2050. A somewhat more diverse mix of energy production options still includes 85% fossil carbon combustion globally. Today, the prospects and potential impacts of climate change have spurred consideration of other options. In this presentation, the strengths and limitations of fission-based nuclear energy will be discussed and compared with the benefits and liabilities of other power production options.

Power production that can impact global climate change: NUCL perspective

248th National Meeting (2014)

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