06. Does Iran Need Nuclear Reactors?

06. Does Iran Need Nuclear Reactors? Environmental & Social

(This blog was written in July, but failed to post. I am reposting it now).

Iran argues it needs a nuclear program for a third reason mentioned in the last blog: (3) avoiding the severe adverse effect of burning gas and the resulting carbon emission which is the major culprit in global warming and the greenhouse effect.

Iran argues that with growing population and increased industrialization it will necessarily release a huge amount of carbon into the atmosphere as long as it must rely on oil and gas for energy production. It is probably true that its level of air pollution is significant since it is reported that schools have to closed several days owing to air pollution.

These arguments are not convincing. Reduction of air pollution is, to be sure, a necessity. I personally have experienced the ill effects of air pollution during my years living in China. But to argue that nuclear power will be remove air pollution problems is arguable.

Accidents such as occurred at Bhopal, India (not nuclear), Paducah, Kentucky, Chernobyl, and Three Mile Island are sobering. They show that regardless of the care that is given to containing radiation exposure from a nuclear reactor, accidents of monumental proportions can, and have, occurred. The more energy that is concentrated in a site, the higher the risk level of a catastrophic accident. Going nuclear is no guarantee of security from severe environmental problems. It certainly is a self-serving argument from Iran that it needs it to be a “good citizen” country.

Polluted air also severely damages soil and groundwater resources by contaminating the rain water. At the same time, Iran's industrial base, using oil and gas for energy, generates wastes that contaminate a large number of rivers and coastal waters and threaten drinking water supplies. These are separate from oil spills in the Persian Gulf and pollution in the Caspian Sea that continue to contaminate the waters. These are all caused by the fact that, Iran's renewable energy consumption, including hydropower, solar, wind, tide, and geothermal, account for only 2% of its total energy consumption, with the rest supplied by oil and gas.