Study Finds Decrease in Nuclear Power

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5320001.html

BRUSSELS, Belgium — The amount of electricity that comes from nuclear power has decreased over the last five years in most of the countries operating nuclear plants, said a study released Wednesday.

Decreases were found in 21 of the 31 countries with nuclear power stations, and the number of nuclear reactors dropped by five to 439 since 2003, according to the study, which was commissioned by the European Parliament's Green Party. The research itself was carried out by two European experts on nuclear energy.

The study explained that since 1988, when the number of nuclear reactors in Europe peaked, aging nuclear plants have been closing and fewer new stations have been built due to strong competition from natural gas and other forms of renewable energy and an insufficient manufacturing capacity.

Altogether, around 16 percent of electricity generated worldwide comes from nuclear power, the study said. France had the highest amount of nuclear-generated power in its electricity mix in 2006 _ 78.1 percent _ followed by Lithuania, Slovakia and Belgium, where the share was also higher than 50 percent.

<more>

Probably either coal or natural gas-burning plants, spewing millions of tons of CO2 into the air every year.

Just a wild guess, ya know.

:puke: