Charles C. Mann Quote

Brand cites the example of France, which constructed fifty-six reactors providing nearly all of the nation’s electricity in just twelve years. Nuclear power provides about 77 percent of French electricity, a far greater proportion than in any other nation. Today, according to World Bank figures, France emits 5.2 tons of carbon dioxide per capita. The corresponding figure for the United States is 17. France shut down its last coal-fired power plant in 2004. It is the world’s biggest electricity exporter; meanwhile, French household electricity costs are among the lowest in Europe.