Climate change and energy independence arguments are being used to push nuclear power in India.
Days before the Indian government is intending to reach an agreement with leftist supporters regarding a nuclear power deal with the U.S., climate change and energy independence arguments are being employed to win over supporters.
A former official involved in the 2005 Gleneagles climate change summit has been appointed as the prime minister’s special envoy on climate change.
Shyam Saran is expected to argue for India’s use of nuclear power as a clean energy source with member nations of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group.
India’s former president Abdul Kalam has also publicly backed the country’s plans to add more nuclear power plants.
For India to become energy independent, Kalam said, the country would need to increase the number of power plants running on nuclear, solar, wind and hydroelectric sources while also reducing dependence on coal and oil.
Members of India's ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) party are to meet with four left-leaning government parties on March 17 to discuss their stance on the nuclear deal.
The four supporting parties, the largest of which is the Communist Party of India, have threatened to withdraw their backing if the Indo-U.S. nuclear agreement is realized.
The debate comes on the heels of U.S. President George W. Bush’s call for developing countries to adopt nuclear power for a reliable energy supply. (See Study says nuclear power isn’t as “safe and clean” as Bush claims.)
“You can't have a vibrant economy without reliable electricity,” he said.
Similarly, even as the U.K.’s new energy bill promoted renewable energy sources such as solar and wind earlier this year, U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown made new nuclear power a cornerstone of the country's future energy mix. (See U.K. introduces new energy bill.)
"We want Britain to be more secure in its energy supply. Even with all these renewable sources that we can bring to bear, we will still have a need for nuclear power," Brown said at a press conference.
print
delicious
digg
hugg
reprint
Post new comment