New Nuclear Power and Climate Change:

Issues and Opportunities

Welcome

Upcoming EBC Meetings

Nov 6 - Env. Industry Forecast w/ Paul ZofnassNov 8 - Ira Leighton USEPA Update in RINov 14 - EPA VOC Control/Stack Testing

Workshop at EPA Lab in ChelmsfordNov 15 - Tour of PSNH Wood Burner Nov 28 - Risk Assessment/Risk Mgmt ProgramNov 30 - An Evening with CT DEP

Commissioner Gina McCarthy Dec 6 – Winter Garden Party in Boston

EBC Mission Statement

The mission of the Environmental Business Council of New England, Inc. is to advance and promote the environmental and energy services and technology businesses in New England.

• Provides programs on current legislative, regulatory, and technology developments that shape the future of the environmental/energy industry

• Provides direct access to regulators and industry leaders to discuss developing issues

• Offers networking and business development opportunities for its members

• Supports and promotes sustainable environmental policies and practices for business and government

• Fosters the development of future generations of the industry through academic partnerships and mentoring and training opportunities

• Provides access to market research

Scale of The Challenge• For 1 GtC reduction in 2050• 1000 MW electrics with CO2 capture (800)• 1000 MW nuclear stations (700)• 1 MW wind turbines (1 million)• Double fuel economy of cars (2 billion)

. . . None economic & accepted today . . .• To achieve any target now discussed• Price (& regulatory) penalty on CO2 emissions• Technology advance to lower the cost of low-CO2

energy supply and use of energy services . . . Only policy involving BOTH will work . . .

New Nuclear Power and Climate Change:

Issues and Opportunities

Kenneth Hughey

New Nuclear Power and Climate Change:

Issues and Opportunities

Jay Scheffer, Conference Chair

New Nuclear Power and Climate Change:

Issues and Opportunities

Keynote Presentation

David Ropeik

Nuclear Power

Public Fears – Perception and Reality

Bounded RationalityBounded RationalityWhen we don’t have all the time, When we don’t have all the time,

all the information, or all the all the information, or all the “smarts” we need to make a “smarts” we need to make a

completely completely

fact-based analytical decision.fact-based analytical decision.

RISK PERCEPTION RISK PERCEPTION FACTORSFACTORS

Psychological factors by which Psychological factors by which we gauge what to be afraid of and we gauge what to be afraid of and

how afraid to be.how afraid to be.The The characteristicscharacteristics of a risk, of a risk,

apart from the factsapart from the facts..

1. TRUST1. TRUST(More Afraid)(More Afraid)

• Anything connected with industryAnything connected with industry• Communications from politiciansCommunications from politicians

• A decision making process that’s closedA decision making process that’s closed

(Less Afraid)(Less Afraid)• Anything connected with consumer groupsAnything connected with consumer groups

• Communications from neutral experts (doctors, Communications from neutral experts (doctors, academics)academics)

• A decision making process that’s openA decision making process that’s open

1. TRUST1. TRUST

• In the communicatorIn the communicator• In the organization that’s In the organization that’s

supposed to protect yousupposed to protect you• In the organization creating the In the organization creating the

riskrisk• In the processIn the process

2. HARM 2. HARM V. V. BENEFITBENEFIT

• Vaccinations, medical X rays, Vaccinations, medical X rays, prescription drugsprescription drugs• Lawn chemicalsLawn chemicals• Using a mobile phone while you Using a mobile phone while you

drivedrive

3. CONTROL3. CONTROL (ability to influence events (ability to influence events

as they occur)as they occur)(More Afraid)(More Afraid)

• Riding as a passenger in the front seat of Riding as a passenger in the front seat of a motor vehiclea motor vehicle

• A process in which you can NOT A process in which you can NOT participateparticipate

(Less Afraid)(Less Afraid)• Driving a motor vehicleDriving a motor vehicle• A process in which you CAN participateA process in which you CAN participate

4. CHOICE4. CHOICE(is the risk (is the risk voluntaryvoluntary or or imposedimposed))

(More Afraid)(More Afraid)• Food with a potentially harmful ingredient NOTFood with a potentially harmful ingredient NOT listed on the labellisted on the label• The The government choosesgovernment chooses your town for a nuclear your town for a nuclear waste repositorywaste repository

(Less Afraid)(Less Afraid)• Food with a harmful ingredient that IS listed on Food with a harmful ingredient that IS listed on the label the label • INVITINGINVITING the government to locate the nuclear the government to locate the nuclear waste repository in your townwaste repository in your town

5. NATURAL 5. NATURAL V.V. HUMAN- HUMAN-MADEMADE

(More Afraid)(More Afraid)• Industrial chemicals (drugs, pesticides)Industrial chemicals (drugs, pesticides)• Technologies (GM food, nuclear power)Technologies (GM food, nuclear power)• TerrorismTerrorism

(Less Afraid)(Less Afraid)• Organic foods and pesticidesOrganic foods and pesticides• Herbal remediesHerbal remedies• Severe weatherSevere weather

6. DREAD6. DREAD

(More Afraid)(More Afraid)• Anything associated with radiation (cancer)Anything associated with radiation (cancer)• Pesticides (cancer)Pesticides (cancer)• Plane CrashPlane Crash

(Less Afraid)(Less Afraid)• Heart disease (leading cause of death in the U.S.)Heart disease (leading cause of death in the U.S.)• FluFlu• Food poisoningFood poisoning

7. CATASTROPHIC or 7. CATASTROPHIC or CHRONICCHRONIC(More Afraid)(More Afraid)

• TerrorismTerrorism• Plane crashesPlane crashes• Nuclear “disaster”Nuclear “disaster”

(Less Afraid)(Less Afraid)• Heart diseaseHeart disease• Motor vehicle crashesMotor vehicle crashes• Air pollution from fossil fuelsAir pollution from fossil fuels

8. UNCERTAINTY8. UNCERTAINTY(When we (When we don’t have all the answersdon’t have all the answers, or , or

we have them but we have them but don’t understand themdon’t understand them.).)(More Afraid)(More Afraid)

• New technologiesNew technologies• TerrorismTerrorism• Complex technologies/ (nuclear power, Complex technologies/ (nuclear power,

chemicals, GM foods)chemicals, GM foods)• Conflicting scientific studies (hormone repl. Conflicting scientific studies (hormone repl.

therapy)therapy)

(Less Afraid)(Less Afraid)• Artificial sweeteners, microwave ovens, electrical Artificial sweeteners, microwave ovens, electrical

& magnetic fields, fossil fuels.& magnetic fields, fossil fuels.

9. ME 9. ME OROR THEM THEM

• Terrorism to Americans in “The Terrorism to Americans in “The HoHoMEMEland” after September 11, 2001 land” after September 11, 2001

• Radiation from power lines when such a Radiation from power lines when such a line is installed near line is installed near youryour home home

• HIV/AIDS to those in high risk groups.HIV/AIDS to those in high risk groups.

10. FAMILIAR 10. FAMILIAR V. V. NEWNEW

(More Afraid)(More Afraid)• West Nile Virus in year oneWest Nile Virus in year one• Terrorist attacks in AmericaTerrorist attacks in America• Avian influenza (H5N1)Avian influenza (H5N1)

(Less Afraid)(Less Afraid)• West Nile Virus in year two, three….West Nile Virus in year two, three….• Terrorist attacks in IsraelTerrorist attacks in Israel• ““Regular” InfluenzaRegular” Influenza

11. CHILDREN11. CHILDREN

• Plastics in children’s toysPlastics in children’s toys• AbductionAbduction• Pollution problems in schoolsPollution problems in schools

12. PERSONIFICATION12. PERSONIFICATION

• Fear of child abduction rises Fear of child abduction rises when there is when there is a specific case in the newsa specific case in the news

• Fear of war rises after we see Fear of war rises after we see pictures of pictures of the dead and injuredthe dead and injured

• Concern about medical errors increases Concern about medical errors increases when we learn of when we learn of a specific victim of a a specific victim of a doctor’s mistakedoctor’s mistake

13. AWARENESS13. AWARENESS(More Afraid)(More Afraid)

• TerrorismTerrorism• Avian fluAvian flu• Nuclear powerNuclear power

(Less Afraid)(Less Afraid)• Heart diseaseHeart disease• InfluenzaInfluenza• Fossil fuel pollutionFossil fuel pollution