The Greenhouse effect is vital for habitation on the Earth; Greenhouse gases naturally blanket the Earth and keep the average temperature about 33 degrees Celsius warmer than without these gases in the atmosphere. Over the past century, however, the average Earth temperature has increased by about 0.5 degrees Celsius and it is predicted that at the end of the 21st century the temperature can rise by 0.5 to 2 degrees Celsius if we do not instigate drastic steps to halt and decrease the production of Greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This process of climate change called 'global warming' can be very negative in nature; more severe floods and droughts, increasing prevalence of insects, sea levels rising, and the Earth's precipitation redistributed. The climate and environmental changes will impact society negatively, which include a decline in health and decreasing economic development.

The main Greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are Carbon Dioxide (76%), Methane (13%), Nitrous Oxide (6%), and Fluorocarbons (5%). Carbon Dioxide is released into the atmosphere as a result of humans exhaling, the combustion of liquid fuels derived from fossil fuels for transportation and electricity generation, deforestation, etc. The increase in carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has increased by 12% between 1959 and 1996, and has accelerated since this period. The World Energy Council reported that global carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels rose 12% between 1990 and 1995; the increase from developing countries was three times that from developed countries. Middle East carbon dioxide emissions from burning of fossil fuels increased 35%, Africa increased by 12%, and Eastern Europe increased rates by 75% from 1990 to 1995.

The Carbon Dioxide molecule is currently the most talked about, written about, published about, and planned about chemical compound on the globe. The global reliance on fossil fuel for energy production generates 26.5 billion tons of CO₂ emission per annum (2007). The predicted devastating effects of global warming fanned by the increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations have arrested the thinking and opinion of politicians, scientists, and businessmen and this aspect is high on the agenda of all responsible governments.

The World's leading authority on global warming, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is a United Nations sponsored organization made up of 2500 scientists from around the world! They have concluded by consensus that: "The balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate". One of the major conventions concerning global warming resulted in the Kyoto Protocol (Japan: December 1-11, 1997). Delegates from across the globe united to find a universal agreement to reduce Greenhouse gas emissions. This Protocol commits the developed nations to drastically reduce Greenhouse gas emissions; United States must cut emissions 7%, Japan 6%, and the European Union 8% below 1990 levels!

We can minimize the global emission of carbon dioxide by producing and using energy more efficiently, by sequestering carbon dioxide, by increasing the use of renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind power, and hydroelectric power, and expanding the use of nuclear power, which is the only large-scale source of electricity other than hydroelectric power that does not generate Greenhouse gases.

Two topics dominate the current international energy debate; global warming and energy security. Worldwide demand for energy is not going away, it is going up. The question of how to meet the world's energy appetite while reducing the threat of global warming has never been more critical. The global growing demand for electricity and concern over greenhouse gas emissions are fuelling a rediscovery of nuclear energy as a clean, reliable and affordable source of base load electricity. Right now, countries representing half the world's population are building new nuclear power plants. The future energy mix must undisputedly include a substantial nuclear energy component if the world wishes to cope with the demands for clean energy. Leading energy studies have flagged the desirable features of nuclear energy:

• Nuclear energy delivers cost-competitive and stable supply of energy, and helps to reduce greenhouse emissions
• The security of energy supply from nuclear is more reliable than for oil and gas.
• Uranium's high energy density (a 1000 MW nuclear reactor requires ~22,000 kg of fuel per refueling and a similar coal fueled power station about 342,000 ton of coal) means the transport is less vulnerable to disruption, and storing a large energy reserve is easier than for fossil fuels.
• Nuclear energy can make the production of hydrogen fuel for the transport sector economically viable.

A recent report by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (2008) predicts that as many as 1400 nuclear reactors can be in operation worldwide by 2050; up from 439 in 2007. Nuclear power generation is predicted to increase from the current level of 370 GWe (2008); to 748 GWe (2030); and 1180 GWe (2050). A 1000 MW nuclear reactor requires about 120,000 SWU per annum; an additional 115 million SWU of enrichment will thus be required by 2050 if the nuclear renaissance realizes. This implies a new enrichment plant of about 5 million SWU capacity being commissioned globally every second year!

Climate change is one of the most critical global challenges of our time and with CO₂ emissions from Coal power plants being one of the main contributors, the search for alternative, clean sources of energy are being looked at. Nuclear power provides this with a huge reduction in the levels of CO₂ emitted. In the journal "The Nuclear Energy Option", Professor Bernard Cohen estimates that approximately 15 tons of CO₂ is produced every minute in a large coal burning power station, where as an equivalent amount of energy can be produce in a nuclear power plant emitting almost 5 millionths of the amount. Nuclear power plants also need less fuel than ones which burns fossil fuels. Although nuclear power does provide a superior alternative to coal, the debate still looms around the issues of the waste, radioactivity and the effect on the environment. There is no denying that waste is produced from nuclear power generation, but how dangerous is this waste and its radioactivity?

The first thing that must be noted is that uranium occurs naturally on the Earth and in its natural form has radioactive levels. Except for Chernobyl and other nuclear accidents, releases have been found to be almost undetectable in comparison with natural background radiation. Secondly, all radioactive waste will eventually decay into non radioactive element.

Further, safer methods for the final disposal of high level waste are technically proven. The main objective of disposing of waste is to protect the people and the environment. This means that the waste must be insulated or diluted so that the radioactive levels will be harmless when the waste is returned to the biosphere. All nuclear activities are regulated and controlled in such a manner that the likelihood of harm or pollution is small.

Whilst on the subject of power generation and associated radiation dose, it is worthwhile to turn the attention back to fossil fuels. In 1978 in an issue of science magazine, J.P Mcbride et.al. showed through their research that humans living near a coal fired power plant are exposed to higher radiation doses than those living near nuclear power plant that met government regulations. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory estimated that to run the average 100 megawatt coal fired power plant, 4 million tonnes of coal is required. On average the 4 million tonnes of coal contains 5.2 tonnes of uranium, 12.8 tonnes of radioactive thorium, as well as 0.22 tonnes of radioactive potassium-40. During the combustion process, the coal, uranium, thorium and potassium is combusted, causing the radiation dosage.

The many misconceptions regarding nuclear energy can be attributed to the fact that not many people have been educated on the nuclear issue, a mistake on the part of the nuclear energy sector. It is widely accepted in informed circles that nuclear energy is a cleaner and safer alternative to current power sources.