On the other hand, if we manage to block this attempt there is little hope for a brilliant future for the nuclear believers. And even during 'normal operation' a nuclear power plant pollutes and kills while emitting low levels of radiation. Waste that has to be taken care of for thousands of years to come. Although a nuclear power station does not itself emit CO2 the production of nuclear energy necessarily includes ore mining, enrichment, transport etc. For all these steps the energy used almost all comes from fossil fuels.
Cost efficiency is another important consideration in the discussion.
The more CO2 avoided for each spent dollar the higher the efficiency. Assessments offering an overview of production costs for different alternative electricity systems clearly show that assertions of low costs for nuclear power are no longer valid. The main alternative energy systems will be even more favourable if a more realistic upper limit cost were to be applied to nuclear energy production. Here, gas-fired stations, electricity savings and renewable energy show far more cost efficiency than expansion of nuclear power. If the CDM supports nuclear power it will inevitably be contributing to the threat of nuclear proliferation.