Carol Browner opines that the recent extreme storms that ravaged parts of Texas, Florida, and U.S. Territories in the Caribbean have again raised awareness of the connection between climate change and carbon pollution and how they exacerbate these extreme weather events. Which is why news out of Georgia is welcomed by Americans concerned about climate change.
The recent announcement that Georgia Power is proposing to continue construction on its two new nuclear reactors at the Plant Vogtle facility near Augusta, Georgia is positive news for both the state, where nuclear plants provide 93 percent of the state’s carbon-free electricity, as well as for our country, where nuclear plants are a critical part of our carbon-free power production.
Reducing carbon pollution is important, because the impacts of climate change are felt across the country. This year alone we’ve seen record forest fires, record rainfalls and what used to be “once a century” storms seemingly turning into once a week storms. As a former Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, it has been my life’s work to protect our planet from dirty air, dirty water, and the harmful effects of climate change. There has never been a more important time to protect carbon-free power sources, such as nuclear and renewables like wind and solar.
The bottom line is that if we are truly concerned about climate change and the carbon pollution that is contributing to it, then we need to support all forms of carbon-free energy sources. If we are working to build a clean energy future, we need to use every tool in our toolbox. Taking even one existing nuclear facility offline, or preventing a currently under-construction plant from moving forward, would inevitably lead to increased carbon pollution from fossil fuel sources of energy, exacerbating the impacts of climate change and endangering our health and safety.
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