Apparently, we are currently living 31.32km away from a nuclear power plant. The Pickering nuclear plant to be exact. Pickering is Canada's oldest nuclear power plant, and is situated 30km from downtown Toronto, closer than any other reactor to a major population center, and provides 50% of Ontario's power needs.
Scary, ain't it?
The Canadian government is considering spending billions to upgrade the reactors so as to extend their lives till 2060, but many think that the money could be better spent on greener, alternative energy resources, and I agree. For example, Denmark produces more than 20% of its energy from wind power. Though I keep complaining about how windy (and chilly) Toronto is, I'm not sure if it's as windy here as in Denmark. Still, it is one very viable alternative. In 2006, wind power accounted for 0.7% of Canada's energy generation, but it is poised to grow significantly and approach a figure of 5.5% by 2015. However, I'm not certain if 5.5% refers to a theoretical ceiling or if it is based on current growth rates for the wind industry (Canada has a rapidly growing wind industry, which has doubled in the past year).
Or, we could all use less power.
Canada ratified the Kyoto Protocol, with an initial target of a 6% reduction in emissions, but embarrassingly, Canada is second only to Austria, worldwide, in the staggering size of its failure to meet its Kyoto target. Canada's greenhouse gas emissions were more than 34% above its (6%) reduction target!
Scary, ain't it?
The Canadian government is considering spending billions to upgrade the reactors so as to extend their lives till 2060, but many think that the money could be better spent on greener, alternative energy resources, and I agree. For example, Denmark produces more than 20% of its energy from wind power. Though I keep complaining about how windy (and chilly) Toronto is, I'm not sure if it's as windy here as in Denmark. Still, it is one very viable alternative. In 2006, wind power accounted for 0.7% of Canada's energy generation, but it is poised to grow significantly and approach a figure of 5.5% by 2015. However, I'm not certain if 5.5% refers to a theoretical ceiling or if it is based on current growth rates for the wind industry (Canada has a rapidly growing wind industry, which has doubled in the past year).
Or, we could all use less power.
Canada ratified the Kyoto Protocol, with an initial target of a 6% reduction in emissions, but embarrassingly, Canada is second only to Austria, worldwide, in the staggering size of its failure to meet its Kyoto target. Canada's greenhouse gas emissions were more than 34% above its (6%) reduction target!
2 comments:
It is indeed scary. I agree with you, that it is actually better to use less energy. But it's not easy to convince people to give up their cars, esp. in north America. I finally decided to save up for a car, for the sake of independence. You really can't get around easy alone, even with a relatively good public transportation. The crime rate tells it all. So I'll soon become one of those people who waste a lot of gas and produce more pollution on the earth...shame on me...
Well, you can choose a more fuel-efficient car, or you can share a car with other students? But yeah, I know it's hard to share ownership of something like a car.
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