What can we do to change the minds of decision makers and people in general to actually do something about preparing for the forthcoming economic/energy crises (the ones after this one!)?
Prominent figures in UK science, including Brian Cox, Simon Singh and David Nutt, challenged the main political parties to answer 10 questions about their science policy. These are the answers in full from Adam Afriyie, Conservative shadow minister for science and innovation.
Should nuclear power be part of our country's strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions? How soon can we bring new plants online?
Nuclear power must form part of our future plans for energy security. We want to clear the way for new nuclear power stations, provided they receive no public subsidy, but Labour's long-standing refusal to take a decision means that new capacity will probably not be ready until the end of the decade. We also want to go further by helping people to go green. We will create a Green Deal, giving every home up to £6,500 worth of energy improvement measures paid for out of savings made on fuel bills.
How does one ensure no public subsidy when nobody knows how much it costs to completely decommision a nuclear power station? (or how to decommision a nuclear power station....)
