scholarly journals Factors Promoting Clean Energy in Japanese Cities: Nuclear Risks Versus Climate Change Risks

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 6918
Author(s):  
Ryoko Nakano ◽  
Tomio Miwa ◽  
Takayuki Morikawa

This article focuses on understanding the factors affecting the subconscious minds of urban citizens in terms of promoting clean energy and deregulation of the electricity sector. Does risk perception related to climate change and nuclear energy effect their choices? Does it differ between cities? A comparative analysis was performed for four cities after the accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Corporation’s (TEPCO)’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011. This article uses a modeling technique based on surveys gathered in 2012. The results show that nuclear risks had a larger influence than climate-change risks with regards to supporting the deregulation of the electricity sector in TEPCO-serviced cities. Meanwhile, in non TEPCO-serviced cities, nuclear risks were more influential when the proportion of nuclear within the energy mix of the local utility was large. When the proportion was low, climate-change risks had the larger influence. Meanwhile, results from all four cities show that there is indeed a positive causal relationship between citizens’ levels of awareness of climate change and energy savings.

MRS Bulletin ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 340-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siegfried S. Hecker

Raj et al. describe the promise of nuclear energy as a sustainable, affordable, and carbon-free source available this century on a scale that can help meet the world's growing need for energy and help slow the pace of global climate change. However, the factor of millions gain in energy release from nuclear fssion compared to all conventional energy sources that tap the energy of electrons (Figure 1) has also been used to create explosives of unprecedented lethality and, hence, poses a serious challenge to the expansion of nuclear energy worldwide. Although the end of the cold war has eliminated the threat of annihilating humanity, the likelihood of a devastating nuclear attack has increased as more nations, subnational groups, and terrorists seek to acquire nuclear weapons.


2021 ◽  
Vol 124 ◽  
pp. 08003
Author(s):  
Jalal ud Din Akbar ◽  
Muhammad Ridhuan Tony Lim Abdullah

Global challenges of climate change and environmental deterioration helped in formulating seventeen sustainable development goals through United Nation. Achieving these sustainable goals, Malaysia initiated and track progress towards affordable and clean energy. The natural environment and climate are mostly influenced by human behavior. Due to the role of human behavior in climate change, a strong tendency towards the pursuit of energy sustainability exists. Attention is paid to strengthen the human behavior from general acts of doing things to carrying specific actions by adopting a responsible behavior into daily routine. A number of factors were identified through literature such as social structure, institution, and education for understanding the individual behavior for sustainability with regard to energy consumption. Many experts related to the field of energy were engaged to sort and prioritize these factors with respect to their importance by using multi-criteria decision making tool of analytical hierarchy process (AHP). The experts were selected from different sectors such as academia, NGOs and industry. With the help of experts, a framework of individual energy consumption behaviour is developed to allow the government and other stakeholders to make policies accordingly to achieve energy sustainable.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1070-1072 ◽  
pp. 353-356
Author(s):  
Fang Chen ◽  
Qiang Yao

Nuclear energy as a clean energy, with the gradual depletion of traditional energy, is particularly important. In this paper, the status of the application of nuclear technology was reviewed. And problems during the use of nuclear energy were addressed, including environmental issue generated by radioactive mineral extraction, radwaste disposal, nuclear power plant safety operation. Although, there are still some problems in the process of nuclear energy use, undeniably nuclear energy is still the hope for the future of human society. Therefore, the technical and management improvement can achieve sustainable development of nuclear energy, in order to ensure the safety of human energy use and sustainability.


Author(s):  
Robin J. McDaniel

Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technologies have been recently deemed by the DOE as clean energy, a low carbon-dioxide emitting “alternative energy” source. Recent UN Sustainability Goals and Global Climate Talks to reduce the anthropomorphic Carbon-Dioxide atmospheric concentrations signal a renewed interest and need for nuclear power. The objective of this paper is to present an improved approach to the evaluation of “Hybrid Nuclear Energy Systems”. A hybrid energy system is defined as an energy system that utilizes two or more sources of energy to be used in single or multiple applications. Traditional single sourced energy or power systems require the amount of energy creation and the production of usable power to be carefully balanced. With the introduction of multiple energy sources, loads, and energy capacitors, the design, simulation, and operation of such hybrid systems requires a new approach to analysis and control. This paper introduces three examples of “Hybrid Nuclear Energy Systems”, for large scale power, industrial heat, and electricity generation. The system component independence, reliability, availability, and dynamic control aspects, coupled with component operational decisions presents a new way to optimize energy production and availability. Additional novel hybrid hydro-nuclear systems, concentrated solar-nuclear power desalination systems, and nuclear-insitu petroleum extraction systems are compared. The design aspects of such hybrid systems suitable for process heat, electricity generation, and/or desalination applications are discussed. After a multiple-year research study of past hybrid reactor designs and recent system proposals, the following design evaluation approach is the result of analysis of the best concepts discovered. This review of existing literature has summerized that postulated benefits of Hybrid Nuclear Sytems are; reduced greenhouse gas emissions, increased energy conversion efficiency, high reliability of electricity supply and consistent power quality, reduced fossil fuel dependence, less fresh water consumption, conversion of local coal or shale into higher value fuels, while lowering the risks and costs. As these proposed hybrid systems are interdisciplinary in nature, they will require a new multidisciplinary approach to systems evaluation.


Author(s):  
Zhiwei Zhou ◽  
Hong Xu ◽  
Yongwei Yang

Two aspects of the development trend of current nuclear fission technology are discussed. The first aspect is to improve economic competitiveness and safety for searching opportunity of enlarging the share of nuclear power. The second aspect is to explore new ways of improving the efficiency of nuclear fuel utilization and of reducing the geological repository volume of radioactive products from nuclear power generation. Sustainable development of Chinese economy in 21st century will mainly rely on sustainable supply of clean energy with indigenous natural resources. The burden of current coal-dominant energy mix and the environmental pollution due to energy consumptions has led nuclear power to be an indispensable choice for further expanding electricity generation capacity and for reducing greenhouse effect gases emission in China. The long-term sustainable development strategy with nuclear fission technology beyond generation-IV for electric power generation, namely the fusion-fission hybrid subcritical reactor technology, is discussed. The impact of the proposed fission-fusion hybrid reactor to future nuclear power generation technology will reply on the success of the ITER-scale (500MW fusion power) Tokamak to burn plasma continuously in the predictable future. The main challenges and prospects of the strategy are also analyzed. The preliminary analysis has shown that the fission in the subcritical blanket driven by fusion neutrons can effectively amplify the energy carried by fusion neutron and maintain breeding of fissile material and tritium. It has been found from the results of a conceptual design that this new type of fusion-fission hybrid reactor may meet the requirement of China’s long-term sustainable development of nuclear energy.


Subject Impact of the Iran deal on civil nuclear energy. Significance The deal between Iran and the P5+1 powers (five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) will have little effect on the global deployment of nuclear power technology. The agreement could pave the way for new civil nuclear power generation in Iran. Elsewhere, civil nuclear power's prospects are restrained by high costs compared to alternatives, safety risks and political acceptance. Impacts Advanced nuclear power countries will encourage newcomers to meet their needs for nuclear fuel by relying on existing suppliers. Countries investing in new civil nuclear power are unlikely to also seek weapons capability. Low oil and carbon prices and the apparent reluctance of countries to mitigate climate change will constrain nuclear power investment.


Author(s):  
Shirley S. Ho

In comparison to fossil fuels that emit greenhouse gases, nuclear power plants are a cleaner energy source that could help to mitigate the problems of climate change. Despite this, the general public often associates nuclear energy with risks that include nuclear accidents, nuclear waste contamination, nuclear weapons proliferation, and many others. People’s experience with the 1979 Three Mile Island incident in Pennsylvania and the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine have caused a sharp decline in public support for nuclear energy over the past few decades. In addition, media images of the 2011 Fukushima-Daichii nuclear accident are still fresh in the minds of the public. These now iconic media images and portrayals have perpetuated a perception of nuclear energy as a risky technology. Against these backdrops, scientists, communication practitioners and other key stakeholders increasingly face an uphill struggle to communicate about nuclear energy as a possible strategy for addressing climate change. Though the general public may reluctantly accept nuclear energy for climate change mitigation, research suggests that messages emphasizing the benefits of nuclear power for energy security and economic growth appear to have greater impact on public acceptance of the technology. Furthermore, public perception of nuclear energy is shaped by a host of other factors such as trust in nuclear governing institutions, knowledge, political inclinations, geographical proximity, and socio-demographic variables. At the same time, nuclear experts and the general public differ in their perceptions of risk, in nature and strength, relative to nuclear energy. Understanding these key differences between the experts and the public, and how beliefs, values, and perceptions influence public acceptance of nuclear energy is necessary to formulate effective public communication and engagement strategies.


1995 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Sinyak

Nuclear power in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union (FSU) is one of the mostly debated issues. There are many controversial opinions around this topic, but lack of data and unstable economic and political climate have prevented the situation from guaranteed improvements in the near future. The goal of this study is to look for a reasonable nuclear policy in the region based on numerical estimates of expected risks and economic assessments of possible options of phasing-out unsafe and obsolete nuclear reactors. A long-tern future of nuclear energy is analyzed for three main energy scenarios with a different impacts to the response to climate change. The study creates a good background for the negotiations on nuclear energy in Eastern Europe and the FSU between Western investors and local states.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1073-1076 ◽  
pp. 2477-2482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yao Li Zhang ◽  
Qi Xun Guo

Renewable energy is considered important resources for sustainable development all over the world. Fujian province, locating in south-east of China, was selected as an example to discuss renewable energy strategies for sustainable development. The potential renewable energy sources in Fujian were analyzed. And the strategies involve three major technological changes, including energy savings on the demand side, efficiency improvements in the energy production, and replacement of fossil fuels by various sources of renewable energy. Nuclear energy was also introduced to the energy system. The conclusion was that converting present energy systems into a 100% renewable system was possible; in case of some flexible energy system technologies as well as nuclear power were introduced to the present energy system.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document