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Goldstein: Now Is Not The Time To Abandon Nuclear Power
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President Obama struck a hopeful tone in his speech at the Paris Climate Conference Tuesday. "It’s hard to come up with a tougher problem than climate change. Or a more consequential problem," Obama said. "And yet, despite all that, the main message I’ve got is — I actually think we’re going to solve this thing."
Obama and other heads of state depart Paris Tuesday, leaving the hard work of detailed negotiations to the delegates remaining at the climate conference.
But true long-term success in curbing global warming is going to require embracing some "inconvenient truths," according to Joshua Goldstein and Steven Pinker in a recent Boston Globe op-ed. Chief among those "inconvenient truths" is nuclear power.
Guest
Joshua Goldstein, emeritus professor of international relations at American University and currently a research scholar at UMass Amherst. He tweets @GoldsteinJoshua.
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The Boston Globe: Inconvenient Truths For The Environmental Movement
- "Without nuclear power, the numbers needed to solve the climate crisis simply do not add up."
Radio Boston: What The End Of Pilgrim Nuclear Means For Massachusetts
- "After 43 years of operation, Pilgrim Nuclear Plant announced Tuesday it will shut down by June 2019. So, what does that mean for Massachusetts and the future of nuclear energy?"
The Guardian: Al Gore: Nuclear Power Will Play 'Limited Role' In Future Energy Mix
- "Despite several countries, including the US, UK and China, pushing forward with plans for new nuclear reactors, the former vice-president said the economics of nuclear meant that it was unlikely to play a major role."
Rueters: After Leaders' Rhetoric, Climate Negotiators Start Work On Deal
- "As the leaders departed Paris, it became apparent that disagreements which have blocked a deal over four years of lead-up negotiations remain unresolved. Negotiators from the 195 countries with a place at the table resumed work on a draft text that still runs to more than 50 pages and is riddled with sticky issues to be settled."
This segment aired on December 1, 2015.