I understand that the payback to recover the energy investment in a new
nuclear plant is around 18 years. Where is that energy going to come from,
or the money? Do your duty, Gordon!

David Ballard
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-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for the Crisis Forum
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chris Keene
Sent: 02 February 2006 00:12
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Subject: FT: Beckett says nuclear power has role on climate change

Beckett says nuclear power has role on climate change
 >By Fiona Harvey
 >Published: February 1 2006 02:00 | Last updated: February 1 2006 02:00
 >>

Margaret Beckett has given her strongest endorsement yet of nuclear 
power, confirming that it would play a part in combating climate change. 
The environment secretary told the cross-party parliamentary climate 
change group: "Nuclear power is a low carbon energy source, no one can 
dispute that, and it has a contribution to make."

Ms Beckett has previously said the economics of nuc-lear power were 
unlikely to be viable. But the government's energy review is likely to 
support at least maintaining the nuclear capacity, which provides 20 per 
cent of electricity.

Her remarks came as Sir Nicholas Stern, second permanent secretary at 
the Treasury and head of the economic service, set out his terms for a 
review of the economics of climate change. This review, to be completed 
by the autumn, will have a wide-ranging effect on policy on dealing with 
climate change, from constraints on business's output of greenhouse 
gases to the encouragement of new low carbon technology.

Yesterday the Treasury published the first discussion paper for the 
review, saying "we will have to go far beyond the actions currently 
agreed [such as the Kyoto protocol and European Union emissions trading 
scheme] if we are to stabilise greenhouse gasses at any acceptable level".

The document shows that the Treasury thinks business will be key to 
solving the problem: "The private sector will respond if the government 
sets clear, long-term and credible incentives." Ms Beckett said taking 
action on climate change now would work out much cheaper than having to 
take much more drastic action in the future.

The Stern review will seek to establish the likely risks to the economy 
from climate change. These include de-creased productivity of 
agricultural land, increasing water scarcity and heavier economic losses 
owing to flooding. London, for example, could be affected as river 
levels rise. The Thames barrier has increasingly been used to protect 
the city from high tides.

The Carbon Trust, a government-funded body set up to make businesses 
aware of climate change, said that companies could save money by 
collaborating with supply chains to reduce carbon dioxide emissions 
through greater energy efficiency. Looked at from the point of view of 
the consumption of goods and services, the UK was a net importer of 
greenhouse gases despite exports of oil from the North Sea.

Ms Beckett said research showed "the longer the world delays, the higher 
will be the costs of climate change, if we have to take drastic actions 
that will entail far greater economic costs". But the cost of carefully 
planned actions and clear signals to businesses and investors were small 
and smaller than people had believed.

The Stern review will estimate the costs of adapting to climate change. 
The Treasury has accepted that "adaptation [to the effects of climate 
change] and mitigation [of greenhouse gas output] are not choices: 
substantial climate change is already inevitable over the next 30 years, 
so some adaptation is essential".

The review will feed into the report of the UN's intergovernmental panel 
on climate change, which is ex-pected to be published early next year 
and which will form the key basis of the future terms of the Kyoto 
protocol after its current provisions expire in 2012.
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