Introduction

Recently there has been a great deal of discussion about nuclear power with the increasing debate about global warming and the gradual introduction into the public sphere of peak oil and energy shortages. And in these discussions, I have noticed an abysmal lack of knowledge about nuclear power. Even famous people such as James Lovelock have waded into the debate with a surprising lack of research and a belief in the widespread myths of nuclear energy such as it being CO₂ free and having an almost infinite source of fuel. If we are to seriously debate the possible use of this energy source, it is necessary to know the truth, not the propaganda released by pro-nuclear bodies such as governments and the nuclear industry or, indeed, the sometimes misleading anti-nuclear statements of some enviromentalists. In this website, a companion to my peak oil site, the Wolf at the Door, I hope to present the true information about nuclear power in an easy-to-digest form.

To keep it clean and simple, I will not be spattering the pages with mathematical formulas or long tables of data. I will use charts and graphics where possible. But the sources will be indicated so, if you want to see the detail behind the statements, it will be there for you.

Note: the form of nuclear power referred to on the pages is the 'standard' form of nuclear fission known as "once-through" mode because none of the uranium is recycled. Information on fast breeder reactors and nuclear fusion can be found on the page Other Forms of Nuclear Power.

Sources

The information on this website comes from several sources which are abbreviated as below.

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