Leading conservation scientists from around the world have called for a substantial role for nuclear power in future energy-generating scenarios² in order to mitigate³ climate change and protect biodiversity. In an open letter to environmentalists with more than 60 signatories, the scientists ask the environmental community to "weigh up the pros⁴ and cons¹ of different energy sources using objective evidence and pragmatic trade-offs, rather than simply relying on idealistic perceptions of what is 'green' ."

 

Organized by ecologists Professor Barry Brook⁵ and Professor Corey Bradshaw from the University of Adelaide's Environment Institute, the letter supports their recent article 'Key role for nuclear energy in global biodiversity conservation', published in the journal Conservation Biology.

 

"Full decarbonization of the global electricity-generation sector⁶ is required soon to avoid the worst ravages⁷ of climate change," says Professor Bradshaw, Director, Ecological⁸ Modelling at the Environment Institute and recently appointed Sir Hubert Wilkins Chair of Climate Change.

 

"Biodiversity is not only threatened by climate disruption arising largely from fossil-fuel derived⁹ emissions¹⁰, it is also threatened by land transformation¹¹ resulting from renewable energy sources, such as flooded areas for hydro-electricity, agricultural areas needed for biofuels and large spaces needed for wind and solar farms."

 

In the article, the researchers evaluated land use, emissions, climate and cost implications of three different energy scenarios: 'business as usual' fossil-fuel dominated; a high renewable-energy mix excluding nuclear; and an energy mix with a large nuclear contribution plus some renewable and fossil-fuel sources.

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