Sir, – It appears to me likely that if, instead of world leaders getting together to discuss climate change, a gang of 12 year-olds were put in charge and told that there are 15 ships ploughing the oceans which between them create more pollution than all the cars in the world, that those children would order those ships to be decommissioned.
Also, I suggest they would forbid all ships using very polluting heavy tar as fuel. In addition when they were informed that modern submarines, aircraft carriers and icebreakers are powered solely by nuclear reactors they would conclude these are very reliable, small, do not create any pollution and are powerful.
Nuclear reactors can produce an infinite amount of electricity cheaply and have the best safety record of any energy technology, the problem of dealing with waste has been solved.
If you want verification of these facts see Dr Philip Bratby’s article Small Modular Reactors subtitled, “The ultimate low carbon renewables”.
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Small reactors use relatively simple technology, can be built rapidly on small sites, can be underground and are not weather dependent. A reactor to supply power for 1.2 million homes would fit on a 25-acre site.
A solar farm to do likewise would require 13,000 acres, while a windfarm would require 32,000 acres (both of which would require backup installations ).
– Yours, etc,
DONALD PRATT,
Killiney, Co Dublin.