Most analyses suggest that in order to have a significant and timely impact on carbon emissions, carbonfree sources, such as nuclear power, would have to expand total energy production by a factor of three to ten by 2050. A three-fold increase in nuclear power capacity would result in a projected reduction in carbon emissions of 1 to 2 Gt C/year, depending on the type of carbon-based energy source that is displaced. This paper reviews the impact of an expansion of this scale on the generation of nuclear waste and fissile material that might be diverted to the production of nuclear weapons. It specifically examines the relation between the different types of fuel cycles and their environmental impact.

Citation: Ewing, R.C. "Environmental Impact of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle." Geological Society, London, Special Publications 236 (2004): 7-23.

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