Two very different reports about nuclear power and climate change have come out in the last few days. Most recently comes news from the BBC that nuclear power is back in British plans to provide energy without carbon emissions.

The BBC cites remarks made by outgoing PM Tony Blair, based on a White Paper examining ways to reduce CO₂ emissions. Although possible locations for nuclear power stations  in Britain are already being investigated there won’t be a final decision until October.

The possible locations on the map enclosed with the BBC article are all coastal locations, which means the British plans at least will not run into the trouble predicted by a story three days earlier in the International Herald Tribune.

That story talks about one of the side effects of climate change for nuclear power. Specifically for nuclear power stations built inland, using river water to cool the reactor. As temperatures rise these stations will have difficulty using the warmer river water as a coolant.

The warmer water may force plants to reduce their production, or cause environmental damage by spewing used up cooling water back into rivers at too high a temperature. Seaside plants which have a far greater supply of water (and often cooler water in summer) are less likely to have problems. But seaside locations aren’t always available for nuclear power stations.

Read the BBC story here and the International Herald Tribune story here