Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 7 of 7
Full-Text Articles in Law
The Externalities Of Nuclear Power: First, Assume We Have A Can Opener . . ., Karl S. Coplan
The Externalities Of Nuclear Power: First, Assume We Have A Can Opener . . ., Karl S. Coplan
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
The nuclear power industry has latched on to global warming as an argument for its renaissance. Although even industry proponents acknowledge that the problem of disposing of spent nuclear fuel remains unsolved, the industry routinely assumes this problem will be solved in the future. Unfortunately, this is the same assumption made by nuclear energy proponents at the beginning of the nuclear industry fifty years ago. We haven’t solved the nuclear waste problem in the past half century, and there is no reason to think we will be more likely to do so in the next one. Like the shipwrecked economist …
The Intercivilizational Inequities Of Nuclear Power Weighed Against The Intergenerational Inequities Of Carbon Based Energy, Karl S. Coplan
The Intercivilizational Inequities Of Nuclear Power Weighed Against The Intergenerational Inequities Of Carbon Based Energy, Karl S. Coplan
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
This essay explains that such encouragement of nuclear energy production as a “solution” to fossil fuel-induced climate change will create environmental problems equally as grave as those posed by a carbon-based energy economy. Both nuclear energy and fossil energy impose enormous environmental externalities that are not captured by the economics of energy production and distribution. While emissions trading schemes seek to harness market-based efficiencies to accomplish pre-determined reductions, they neither seek to nor succeed in capturing the environmental externalities of energy generation. By creating a set of incentives without capturing all of the externalities, these trading schemes will simply distort …
Energy-Efficiency: The Best Option For A Secure, Clean, Healthy Future, Richard L. Ottinger
Energy-Efficiency: The Best Option For A Secure, Clean, Healthy Future, Richard L. Ottinger
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
The risks of dependence on traditional fuels have never been greater or more obvious. Modern civilization and the world economy are facing imminent and clear threats of worldwide terrorism. The oil producing countries of the Middle East are increasingly unstable, confronting the world with potentially calamitous energy and economic disruptions. Domestically, our limited refining capacity creates shortages when demand is high and increases prices even when petroleum supplies are plentiful. Yet most of the world is in a state of denial, happy to bask in the illusory security of temporary Saudi oil production increases. Moreover, these new dangers sit on …
Renewable Energy Sources For Development, Richard L. Ottinger
Renewable Energy Sources For Development, Richard L. Ottinger
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
Renewable energy resources hold great promise for meeting the energy and development needs of countries throughout the world. This promise is particularly strong for developing countries where many regions have not yet committed to fossil fuel dominance. Solar photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies are particularly advantageous for serving the two billion people in rural areas without grid electricity. Modern biomass energy is attractive because it uses locally available agricultural wastes. Wind energy and small hydroelectric resources also are mature technologies well suited to developing countries. Such renewable resources are far more economical than traditional energy resources, especially where the costs …
Global Climate Change Kyoto Protocol Implementation: Legal Frameworks For Implementing Clean Energy Solutions, Richard L. Ottinger
Global Climate Change Kyoto Protocol Implementation: Legal Frameworks For Implementing Clean Energy Solutions, Richard L. Ottinger
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
This paper describes the measures that have been and can be taken and the legal mechanisms by which successes have been achieved in reducing greenhouse gases. Examples are given of success stories from around the world, but these examples are just demonstrative. Many hundreds of programs have been pursued successfully around the world in both industrial and developing countries. What does emerge, however, is clear evidence that global warming can be effectively addressed and that many significant steps have been taken profitably in both the public and private sectors, offering significant business, export and job opportunities, and that much can …
Energy And Environmental Challenges For Developed And Developing Countries, Richard L. Ottinger
Energy And Environmental Challenges For Developed And Developing Countries, Richard L. Ottinger
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
Energy for development utilizing traditional supply investments, estimated to cost $1.4 - $4 trillion through 2010, will be unaffordable both for recipients and lenders. The capital required, even if obtainable, would squeeze out capital for all other development requirements and would pose unacceptable environmental and cleanup costs. Upgrading existing energy supply systems would cost a fraction of new supply. Energy efficiency and environmentally benign renewables can at least halve new supply capital requirements and avoid their environmental costs. Least cost planning by lenders and recipients, on the basis of total system life cycle costs, for both energy and non-energy related …
Least-Cost Utility Planning And Demand-Side Management: A Bibliography, Richard L. Ottinger
Least-Cost Utility Planning And Demand-Side Management: A Bibliography, Richard L. Ottinger
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
The Pace Energy Project has undertaken to compile this annotated bibliography of books, articles and other research materials devoted to least-cost utility planning and demand-side management. This introduction describes the organization and methodology of the bibliography. To aid the user who may be unfamiliar with this field, these remarks also survey the factual background underlying the issues in each subsection of the bibliography, and the interrelationships between these utility reform issues.