GE, Ecomagination and Nuclear Power
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 01.31.06
While writing about Toshiba buying Westinghouse, we recalled another company on the green bandwagon, General Electric. We went to their main site and started looking for nukes. Every page has wind power and photovoltaics and ecomagination, but nary a word on nuclear- you have to search. Even the completely separate GEpower website lists nuclear support and equipment but nary a reactor. Eventually one finds in their Corporate Citizenship page that there are 77 GE designed nuclear reactors in seven countries and they still believe in it. (read their position below the fold) This treehugger architect thinks that a few percent increase in efficiency of the design of our cities, buildings and cars is a better investment than any nuclear plant; Others think Nuclear has a role in reducing greenhouse gasesand foreign oil dependence. General Electric and Ecomagination shouldn't get to straddle the fence; if they believe in it they should put it up there with the photovoltaics and wind turbines. Otherwise they are greenwashing.
GE is committed to providing products that help solve customer problems and improve the quality of life. However, there are products that remain controversial due to their associated application, misuse or potential for negative environmental impact. While these issues must always be evaluated and monitored, we hope that by illuminating our approach to some of these products, we can increase transparency and diffuse concern around these issues.
Nuclear Power
Nuclear energy remains a controversial power source due to concerns about safety and the storage of nuclear waste. GE sells many different types of power generation technologies from wind and solar to gas and nuclear. GE’s decision to continue designing nuclear power facilities is based on three facts:
1
Nuclear power remains an important source of energy, providing 17% of the world’s electricity and energy, and environmental technologies are likely to require a mix of technologies in the future;
2
GE through service offerings is committed to helping our customers operate boiling water reactors safely and efficiently; and
3
The generation of electricity from nuclear power doesn’t emit greenhouse gases, making it a current and potential contributor to climate change solutions in the eyes of many. There are 441* operating nuclear reactors globally, 77 of which are GE designed/built boiling water reactors operating in seven countries.
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Amory agrees with you Lloyd
oh and hey, while we may be alkl up in it about ecoMagination (a term stolen from Ovitz or Roy Disney or someone?) you can't believe that all of the sudden they will undo 50+ years of ickyness can you?
ANYONE WHO CARES OUGHT TO BUMRUSH THE VIDEOSTORE AND INSIST ON SEEING THIS MOVIE "deadly deception" (which NBC oddly enough left out of the Oscars that year even tho it won best doc)
I have a different take on GE. I am a die hard treehugger, however I used to work as an environmental chemist at GE nuclear. GE has put significant resources over the last two decades into reclaiming fissionable material from nuclear waste. The primary obstacle to this has been federal politics not GE approach. GE has also not been significantly pushing for new reactor construction, but supports the existing reactors. As we all know GE has had a horrible environmental policy history, but there seems to be real progress. I think GE's statement of support for nuclear energy is not "riding the fence". In truth, it is factually accurate and I still feel that nuclear done correctly IS preferable to fossil fuels. Of course we should move to exclusively to renewables, but I think that the "Treehugger" approach should be to encourage GE's progress as a growing allies.
Nuclear power may not be the "nicest" form of energy going around but it is definately the "greenest" and will be for a very long time. People dont seem to realise the resources and energy that go into solar and wind energy generation because of how "nice" it is.
I am personnally very scared about the enormity of the power that china and india will consume in the coming years and if they aren't powered with a high percentage of nuclear power there will be severe enviromental repercussions. What we do in our western culture to "green" things up wont even be noticed on the richter scale if they aren't kept on the straight and narrow. There are an awful lot of people over there.
Anti-nuke protest in Europe, just across the street from 'Ecomagination' Europe HQ.
Watch our WebTV report at:
http://player.narrowstep.tv/skins/0018/nsp.aspx?player=EUXTV&&void=56360