Time to go nuke…or not?

Many countries are now opting for nuclear power to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and address global warming. Will the Philippines follow suit?

MANILA, Philippines – When Martial Law strongman Ferdinand Marcos pushed for the construction of the Philippines’s first and only nuclear power plant in 1977, the reception was far from warm. Not only did the project entail large sums of foreign loans, it also involved a still-developing technology which was initially used as weapons of destruction during the Second World War.

Fast forward to the new millennium, nuclear energy is now being considered as a viable and clean energy option. What was then considered as a dangerous energy source is fast becoming a strong alternative to minimize oil dependency and global warming.

A nuclear future

According to a study made by the United Kingdom Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, nuclear power produces the least number of carbon dioxide emissions.

Six decades after the first time electricity was generated by nuclear reactors in 1951, 30 countries are sourcing their energy needs from 436 nuclear reactors worldwide.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), almost 15% of the world’s electricity requirements are being filled by nuclear power plants. Major nuclear power users are United States, France, and Japan.

Further, 43 more nuclear power plants under construction and 372 more were being planned and proposed.

Among Asian countries, the Philippines was the first to explore the possibility of harnessing nuclear power in the 70s. MORE...