Sydney Mkay. “France Set to Shut Down All Coal Power Plants By 2023 – The Ring of Fire Network.” The Ring of Fire Network. N.p., 20 Nov. 2016. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.(https://trofire.com/2016/11/20/france-set-shut-coal-plants-2023/)
In the article, the author reveals that France is attempting to remove all coal power plants from its country by the year 2023. They are also attempting to become carbon neutral by the year 2050. Along with being an environmental leader, France also creates 75% of its energy from nuclear fission.
By removing all coal power plants from their country, France is making a huge step in helping the environment. These sort of changes are what makes France an environmental leader as the article stated. More countries should use nuclear fission for energy. France’s actions should be very beneficial for the environment and their actions should be followed by other countries.
This is a great step to become carbon neutral. Now, other countries just need to follow in France’s footsteps to make an even great impact. What energy source will France use instead?
Does nuclear energy really have less environmental impact than coal? While it is true that nuclear fission has produces carbon emissions than burning coal, it produces toxic, radioactive byproducts that can take millions of years to become neutral. These byproducts can have serious environmental consequences as well as pose several health risks. There is also no truly safe way to store nuclear byproducts until they are neutral, and most nuclear waste is handled irresponsibly or unsafely, a significant amount simply being dumped into various parts of the ocean