KOSEN 한인과학기술자네트워크

ㅇ There is a strong case for acting to mitigate the threat of drastic climate change associated with unrestrained in emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly CO2. Just waiting to see what happens to the atmosphere if we persist with business as usual in electricity generation is not a sane option. ㅇ We must consider exploiting all possible approaches, including using less electricity, using technologies based on renewable sources, and finding ways to prevent CO2 reaching the atmosphere, as well as exploring the nuclear option. It is not appropriate to dismiss an energy source on the grounds that it could supply'only'a few perent of need. ㅇ It is vital to keep the nuclear option open. We cannot be confident that the combination of efficiency, conservation and renewables will be enough to meet the needs of environmental protection while providing a secure supply of electricity at acceptable cost. ㅇ We therefore endorse the 1998 recommendation of the Commons Trade and Industry Committee that: 'a formal presumption be made now, for the purposes of long-term planning, that new nuclear plant may be required in the course of the next two decades'. We would further urge that the timetable for such considerations should allow a decision to be taken early enough to enable nuclear to play its full, long-term orle in national energy policy. This is likely to mean early in the next administration if a damaging decline in the role of nuclear is to be avoided. ㅇ The planned levy on the business use of energy is deeply flawed. Since the objective is to reduce C)2 emissions, the levy would be much more effective if it was based directly on net CO2 emitted rather than, as proposed, on the amount of energy supplied. ㅇ There is a need for major investment in research and development in all energy sectors. Because of the long-term and international nature of such work, we propose the formation of an international body funded by contributions from individual nations on the basis of GDP or total national energy consumption. The body would be a funding agency supporting research, development and demonstrators elsewhere, not a research centre itself. Its budget might reasonably build up to the order of $25 billion pa, roughly 1% of the total global energy budget.