21 May, 2019
【52nd JAIF Annual Conference】 Environmental Activist Michael Shellenberger, a Pro-nuclear Convert, Meets the Press
On April 9, President Michael Shellenberger of U.S. Environmental Progress, famous as an environmental activist who supports nuclear power, visited Japan to make a special presentation at the 52nd JAIF Annual Conference. At a press conference after the presentation, he explained why he had changed his view of nuclear power, something he once opposed.
Shellenberger appears in the documentary film “Pandora’s Promise,” which features environmental activists who have researched the global energy situation and become supporters of nuclear power, advocates for its important role in the prevention of global warming. At the press conference, he expressed the view below on disposal of radioactive waste and the nuclear industry’s adherence to underground burial of it.
His statement is as follows:
My thoughts on nuclear energy changed gradually as I entered my 30’s, at the beginning of the century. I wanted to tackle the global warming challenge professionally. I thought a technological solution to radioactive waste disposal would readily emerge. Renewable energies were widely considered promising, but practical progress was still lacking.
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- 15 April, 2019 Keidanren Promotes Nuclear Power and Renewable Energies in Electric Power Policy Proposal
- 5 April, 2019 Governmental Advisory Panel of Experts Delivers Proposals about Japan’s Long-term Strategy Based on Paris Agreement
- 3 April, 2019 Japan’s Environment Ministry Releases New Policy Regulating Coal-fired Power Generation, Accelerating Global Warming Countermeasures
- 26 December, 2018 Kansai Economic Federation Releases Written Opinion on Energy and Environmental Policy, Urging Maximum Use of Nuclear Energy
- 13 December, 2018 ANRE Nuclear Energy Subcommittee Resumes Deliberations toward Resolving Issues Based on Fifth Strategic Energy Plan
- 12 December, 2018 ANRE’s Working Group Produces Strategic Road Map for Fast Reactor Development
- 7 November, 2018 National Nuclear Convention Held, Aiming to Reflect the Voices of Siting Areas
- 20 September, 2018 62nd IAEA GC Opens: Japan’s Minister of State for Science Stresses National Policy of Reducing Plutonium Holdings
- 13 September, 2018 NRA Chairman Rebuts Idea that Hokkaido Blackouts Could Have Been Averted Had Tomari NPPs Been Restarted
- 30 August, 2018 International Mentoring Workshop in Science and Engineering for Women Held in Tokyo
- 6 July, 2018 Strategic Energy Plan Approved by Cabinet: FEPC Chairman Calls It “Key Policy of the Nation”
- 4 July, 2018 Court of Second Instance Approves Operation of Ohi NPPs
- 29 June, 2018 JAIF President Personally Sad to See Fukushima Daini Go
21 May, 2019
【52nd JAIF Annual Conference】 Leader Perspective: “The Role of Nuclear Energy in the EU Low-carbon Future”
In the Leader Perspective section of the 52nd JAIF Annual Conference, held on April 10, Director Massimo Garribba of Nuclear Energy, Safety and ITER, DG for Energy, European Commission (EC) gave a presentation entitled “The Role of Nuclear Energy in the EU Low-carbon Future.”
He began his presentation by saying that without “vision,” the goal of zero carbon could not be pursued meaningfully on a long-term basis. He then talked about efforts by the EC. In November 2018, the European Commission (EC) came out with “A Clean Planet for All,” its strategic long-term vision for a climate-neutral economy.
As evidenced in the Paris Agreement, an aggressive scenario will be required to limit the rise in global average temperatures to less than 2 degrees C, and even more so, to less than 1.5 degrees C. One quarter of EU’s seven-year budget (2021-2027) is allocated to decarbonize its economy.
Toward achieving zero carbon, energy production will be focused in Europe. As a medium-term target, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will be reduced by 45 percent from the 1990 le...more
