Force #4: Global Warming Trumps Everything

Fact: The 11 hottest global temperature years (since records began in 1861) have been since 1990.
The ice caps are melting at an alarming pace. And whether it’s hurricanes in the Atlantic or typhoons in the Pacific, storms are whipping up with an intense fury. Unless your name is “ExxonMobil,” there is very little argument about why this is happening. A normal global warming cycle is being worsened by man-made pollution -- greenhouse gasses that trap heat. Or the earth is just getting warmer due to natures way. People make the market and if they believe the earth is global warming due to hydrocarbons then the politicians will pass laws to save the earth and mankind. That means nuculear will win out eventually.
And though people rant and rave about gas-sucking SUVs, the biggest source of greenhouse gasses (apart from methane-farting cows and other livestock) is coal-fired power plants. People point to the fact that China is building a new coal-fired plant every week and shake their heads. Well, here in the U.S., we have about 150 new coal plants planned or already being built. Many of these are using “old-coal” technology for cost savings.

It’s almost as if China and the U.S. are engaged in some kind of suicide pact. And I doubt it’s going to have a happy Hollywood ending.

There is hope, though. Awareness of the crisis of global warming is becoming so acute that major corporations are joining forces with environmental groups in an unprecedented alliance to push for quicker action on global warming. The alliance of greens and Corporate America is called the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, and we’re talking some really BIG names here: Alcoa, BP America, DuPont, General Electric, FP&L Group, and more. One of the solutions to global warming is nuclear power.

Here’s why: An operating nuclear power plant produces zero greenhouse gases. Compare that with your average coal plant, which can spew 3.7 million tons of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) into the air every year, along with hundreds of tons of heavy metal-laden ash.

I expect public awareness on this issue to grow over the next few years and the public to start demanding utilities make the switch. This boosts nuclear power in two ways -- increasing demand for uranium at power plants and lifting bans and overregulation on mining.