Impearls

Impearls: "Nuclear power is the only green solution by James Lovelock

James Lovelock is an atmospheric chemist who has made a profound contribution to our understanding of how the atmospheres of living worlds betray their nature, is a Fellow of the British Royal Society of distinguished scientists, and along with American biologist Lynn Margulis originated the “Gaia Hypothesis.” Climate authority Kenneth Hare, writing in Encyclopedia Britannica, described the theory thusly: 1 “In effect the Earth is, in Lovelock's most recent restatement (1988), a living organism, with self-regulating processes (homeostasis) capable of ensuring the survival of a life-sustaining global climate.” Partly as a result of this conceptual leap forward, Locklock has attained the status of something of an environmentalist scientist hero in the minds of many people, including yours truly.

Now James Lovelock has written an important piece on nuclear power as a vital component in a campaign and strategy for ameliorating the probable growing impact of global warming during the coming century. Lovelock's article was originally published in the newspaper The Independent, on earthdate 2004-05-24 (May 24, 2004), but it is apparently no longer available online there. Now, with Dr. Lovelock's kind permission, Impearls reissues this first-rate essay. We'll let James Lovelock's own bold title speak for itself: 2 “Nuclear power is the only green solution: We have no time to experiment with visionary energy sources; civilisation is in imminent danger”! "