Achin Vanaik. George Monbiot. Radical Book Fair. Edinburgh. 14-Oct-2006

http://www.word-power.co.uk/book_fair

Achin Vanaik.
What a brain!
Approaches to the global warming crisis:
Market
Or
Technology
Or
Turn away from endless growth.

'To believe in endless growth either a fool or an economist.'
16% of world power is nuclear. NP is in decline in West. Growth areas for NP are non-West.
Decommission costs make NP uneconomic. NP always needs massive subsidy.
About 25 million people globally have suffered radiation effects. (Though it would be interesting to see the calculations behind this.)
In India nuclear weapons are supported by the scientists because they have made such a mess of the NP programme. (Costs, delays, poor safety record.)
Storage still not solved.
Good quality Uranium will run out in 60 yrs. Then have to use low grade ores. This mining pushes up overall Carbon use. (Carbon cost of digging the stuff out and transporting it.)
India is after high grade ores for NP. Can use indigenous poor grade ores for weapons.
Non Prolif Treaty - has contradiction built in - by helping with power, this gives the means to build weapons. So now US also worried about nuc energy. - Leading onto the current Iran issuea.
It is Israel that has always stopped a pact in mid East to be a nuclear weapons free zone.
N Korea is after normalisation to grow economy with Japan etc.
http://www.tni.org/fellows/vanaik.htm

Monbiot.
Due to coming water shortage the World with have a net food shortage.
Once we get to 2 degrees above pre-Industry then we hit positive feedback effects.
Plasma TV uses 5 times more energy than CRT.
Industry has re-graded fridges to hide the fact that they are not efficient. (It is not currently possible to buy the best grade fridges in the UK.)
A big issue is electricity transmission. (Which can be solved by going to DC apparently.)
The green-hyperconsumer. (Agas etc.)
California proposals to reduce by 80% by 2050 - will reduce down to current Europe!