Talking Points

Nuclear power has no place among climate solutions. Indeed, choosing to stick with existing nuclear plants – and building new ones – actually makes climate change worse. There are many excellent – but sometimes long and detailed – reports that make the definitive case for renewables over nuclear. To render these more accessible, Beyond Nuclear is choosing a selection to condense into manageable Talking Points. We hope you will find these useful in outreach to elected officials and the public, for presentations and in your media work. Watch for new additions to our series as they are published in the coming months. Please feel free to download, print and distribute our Talking Points.

Talking Points #1: Why Nuclear Power Slows Action on Climate Change. An analysis by Amory B. Lovins.  The first of our Talking Points series lays out the arguments related to carbon reductions, time and cost, which, taken together, make nuclear power the least helpful choice for climate change, and renewable energy, combined with energy efficiency, the best choice.

You can download a PDF version here

Talking Points #2: “Advanced” Isn’t Always Better. Why pursuing “advanced” reactors is too slow, too resource-intensive, too dangerous and won’t result in improvements over traditional light water reactors. An analysis by Edwin Lyman. The second in our Talking Points series debunks the many flawed arguments suggesting that “new” and “advanced” non-light-water-reactors are an improvement and needed to combat climate change.

You can download a PDF version here

Talking Points #3: Does nuclear power effectively reduce carbon emissions? An analysis by Benjamin K. Sovacool, Andy Stirling and colleagues. The third in our Talking Points series looks at how countries that choose nuclear power are less effective at reducing carbon emissions than those that choose renewables, and how the choice of nuclear power can cancel out renewables.

You can download a PDF version here.

Talking Points #4: Net zero without nuclear. It’s not only possible, but essential. An analysis by Jonathon Porritt. The fourth in our Talking Points series looks at how energy efficiency and renewables must be at the heart of a Net Zero goal. Nuclear has no role to play and clinging to inflexible baseload distribution systems, on which nuclear power relies, makes it harder to bring on renewables.

You can download a PDF version here.

Talking Points #5: Germany’s Energy Revolution is working. Germany, which is about to phase out its entire nuclear fleet, is often misrepresented in the media. Despite the many false claims, Germany’s carbon emissions did not increase as a result of the nuclear shutdown and the country is on track to meet its fossil fuel phaseout goals. Shutting down nuclear power in fact opened the way for the country’s renewable energy revolution. We set the record straight.

You can download a PDF version here. Background sources here.

Talking Points #6: Unfounded Promises. Small Modular Reactors solve none of the challenges of nuclear power and make climate change and proliferation worse.

A tsunami of license applications for new small modular (mirage) reactors is about to be unleashed in the US. But none remotely pass the five fundamental tests of cost, time, safety, waste and proliferation challenges. SMRs cannot improve on the already flawed full-size reactors, will be more expensive, take too long, have serious safety flaws, constitute proliferation risks and will make even more radioactive waste with no permanent solution.

You can download a PDF version here. Background sources here.