Burning coal without adding to global carbon dioxide levels is a major technological challenge. The greatest challenge is bringing the cost of capture and storage technology down sufficiently for 'clean coal' to compete with nuclear power.
Atmospheric concentrations of some of the gases that produce the greenhouse effect are increasing due to human activity and the vast majority of the world's climate scientists believe this causes global warming and resulting climate change.
Whereas carbon dioxide emissions associated with nuclear power generation are negligible, emissions from fossil fuel power plants are considerable – resulting in environmental and health consequences.
Electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles which are able to be charged from mains power have potential to greatly increase the demand for base-load power from grid systems. Development of these depends critically on battery technology.
Germany's Energiewende (energy transition) is a national program to change to a renewable-dominated energy system and phase out nuclear power. The government has estimated that the total cost of this could reach €1 trillion.
Life-cycle analysis is useful for comparing net energy yields from different methods of electricity generation. Nuclear power shows up very well as a net provider of energy. External costs, evaluated as part of life-cycle assessment, strongly favour nuclear over coal-fired generation.
Environmental and health consequences of electricity generation are important issues, alongside the affordability of the power which is produced.
Hydrogen is widely seen as a future transport fuel. Nuclear energy can be used to make hydrogen electrolytically, and in the future high-temperature reactors are likely to be used to make it thermochemically.
Green technologies are being deployed with the aim of making modern societies more sustainable. It is therefore essential to consider the mineral resource and physical mining realities associated with the energy transition.
Nuclear energy is a clean, sustainable energy source. It is essential for meeting the UN's sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Climate change is a worldwide problem and policy responses have accordingly had an international basis; the principal focus has been on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Like nuclear power, renewable energy provides electricity without significant carbon dioxide emissions. However, solar and wind require back-up generating capacity due to their intermittent nature.
Stewardship involves the care and management of a commodity through its entire life cycle. For a mineral, this cycle encompasses exploration, mining, processing, refining, fabricating, use, recovery, recycling and disposal.