How much carbon does the average American or European emit per year? How much does the world emit? And if you know the answers to those questions, maybe you can also tell Craig Morris how many tons of nuclear waste the world has? He tried, and failed, to find out. Last week, we read alarming reports about CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere are approaching 400 parts per million – and counting. In the run-up to the second anniversary of the disaster in Fukushima, we also read articles by proponents of nuclear power – such as this one from Sunday in New Scientist. In addition to reiterating the pro-nuclear argument that “relatively few people will suffer serious health effects from the nuclear fiasco,” the article states: “the world still fears nuclear technology more than it fears climate change.” Is that true? Counting carbon emissions is no easy task. The shift from coal to shale gas, for example, has lowered the emissions we count, but questions remain about emissions we may not count, such as line losses … Continue reading Count Nuclear Waste, Not Just CO2