CO2, Climate Change, Fossil Fuels, and Nuclear Power - A Simple Summary John Shanahan February 28, 2021 Alarmists, advocates for a prosperous modern world, and the public have widely differing opinions on man-made global warming, use of fossil fuels and nuclear power. Here is a short summary about carbon dioxide, man-made global warming, natural climate change, use of fossil fuels and nuclear power. 1) The CO2 cycle on Earth consists of flow between four reservoirs: [(1) atmosphere, (2) land (plants and animals), (3) shallow ocean - dissolved CO2, plants, and marine life, and (4) deep ocean - dissolved CO2, mostly dead plants, and dead marine life]. Chemistry can not differentiate between man-made and natural CO2. 2) CO2 transfers between the atmosphere, land, and shallow ocean reservoirs happen relatively quickly - months, years, decades. 3) CO2 transfer from shallow ocean to deep ocean is a much slower process - decades, centuries, millenia. 4) Temperature of the shallow ocean has not changed much in the last hundred years. It isn't clear why lots of CO2 would be leaving the shallow ocean, degassing into the atmosphere. 5) The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has clearly risen from approximately 280 ppm to 415 ppm in the last 200 years. It is logical to conclude that this additional CO2 comes from use of fossil fuels. The increase of atmospheric CO2 has many benefits and will not cause Catastrophic Man-Made Global Warming. 6) CO2 is unquestionably a key molecule of life on Earth. Life is a special miracle beyond the miracle of the existence of the universe itself. It is a horrible act to wantonly destroy large amounts of life. That would happen if government leaders and alarmists force the world to stop using fossil fuels. The population would drop by more than half simply because food production would collapse and food transport to population centers would diminish. Who has the right to force the population to suffer and die by the billions because of lack of fossil fuels to do all the work to support the modern world? 7) If we label CO2 molecules that do not come from fossil fuels, "natural CO2" and those that come from use of fossil fuels, "man-made CO2," and if these two are indistinguishable chemically, then it is false to claim that man-made CO2 is a pollutant. It is impossible to claim that man-made CO2 has mostly, quickly gone into shallow 1
ocean or land reservoirs. It is impossible to conclude that the increase in atmospheric CO2 in the last two hundred years is mainly from oceans degassing carbon dioxide. 8) Government leaders and alarmist organizations who demand / force stopping use of fossil fuels are doing a terrible thing against humanity. 9) Replacing fossil fuels with nuclear power for generating electricity is good because it will save fossil fuels for applications that they do best, including things related to food production, processing, and transportation. 10) Replacing fossil fuels with wind and solar photo-voltaic is a fool's errand. But the current leaders in Britain, Canada, Germany, and the USA are hell bent on doing that. 11) Nuclear power is very good. But we have to do two things before it can greatly expand around the world: (1) Get rid of the artificial barriers that have impeded its development since 1970, rebuild the nuclear power industry, and educate people to work in the nuclear power industry and (2) improve economies, government, and education to reduce war, conflict and suffering. These changes will take far more time than idealist nuclear power promoters claim. Below are photos of beautiful nuclear power plants around the world.
Nuclear Power Plant Leibstadt, Switzerland
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Nuclear Power Plant Leibstadt, Switzerland
Nuclear Power Plant Koeberg, South Africa with wildlife preserve
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Nuclear Power Plant Diablo Canyon, California, USA
Heather Matteson, B.Sc. Materials Engineering, Senior Reactor Operator at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Station, California, Co-Founder, Mothers for Nuclear 4
Bruno Comby, Nuclear Engineer Founder – President of Environmentalists for Nuclear, Houilles, France
Nuclear Power Station Penly, France From the start in the 1970s, France had the best planning for long lasting nuclear power. License each site for double the number of operating power plants than planned. This enables continuous operation while replacement plants are being built and retired ones are being dismantled. Standardize plants at a given site for optimization of licensing process, operating and maintenance staffs, and repair parts. France has a program for recycling used fuel and storage of ultimate nuclear waste. The world should follow their example. 5
Go plentiful energy from fossil fuels and nuclear power. Go fossil fuel and nuclear science by-products to make a wonderful modern world. Go women and men working for a better, more peaceful world, and respect for the environment and biodiversity. John A. Shanahan Civil Engineer Editor, website: allaboutenergy.net Denver, Colorado, USA Tel. (USA) 303 399 0393 E-mail: acorncreek2006@gmail.com
or john.shanahan@allaboutenergy.net
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
A volcano crater lake, Ecuador
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