Image Source: climatescorecard.org
Written by: Ethan Price
February 13th, 2022
French President Emmanuel Macron has recently laid out a plan to move France towards a future of nuclear power. Macron's proposal will rely on six nuclear reactors to produce electricity with virtually no greenhouse gas emissions. The plan will be carried out by the Electricite de France SA, the government sponsored energy company (WSJ).
When complete, the plant will be the largest nuclear operation since the accident in Fukushima, Japan, dating back to 2011. The production of nuclear energy is safe, relatively speaking, as a similar amount of people perish in mining coal as fuel for electricity. However, the production of nuclear energy can be harmful to the Earth. The byproducts of the process include uranium mill tailings and other radioactive waste which can remain in the planet for centuries (EIA).
Regardless of its effects, the plan still seems to be under way. Only time will tell what effects the reactors will have on the French economy, as well as how the plan may motivate other countries to follow suit.