American Nuclear Society

This article is part of the Nuclear Spin project of Spinwatch.

Background

Launched in 1954, the American Nuclear Society says it is a 'not-for-profit, international, scientific and educational organization.' It has approximately 10,500 members representing 1,600-plus corporations, educational institutions and government agencies.

It is governed by four officers and a board of directors elected by the membership. The officers are:

• Harold F. McFarlane, ANS President: Deputy Associate Laboratory Director for Nuclear Programs and Director of the Space Nuclear System and Technology Division of the Idaho National Laboratory;
• Donald C. Hintz, ANS Vice President and President-Elect: retired from Entergy Corporation in 2004 where he was president for 5 years;
• William F. Naughton, ANS Treasurer: former general manager of research and development for Exelon;
• E. James Reinsch, Immediate Past President: President of Bechtel Nuclear

The organisation's website says that its 'core purpose is to promote the awareness and understanding of the application of nuclear science and technology' and adds that it aims to 'be the recognized credible advocate for advancing and promoting nuclear science and technology.'

Nukes are green

The ANS sets out its belief that nuclear energy is green in a position paper. It states:

'The American Nuclear Society believes that one of the most effective ways to reduce global carbon-dioxide emissions in the future is by making increasing use of nuclear energy to replace fossil fuels. This technology is the only one with near-zero carbon-dioxide emissions that has been proven capable of delivering, reliably and sustainably, the large quantities of energy needed by an industrial society. Also, the energy from nuclear fission is essentially inexhaustible, just as is the energy from sources traditionally considered 'renewable'.

To minimize future carbon-dioxide emissions, the American Nuclear Society strongly recommends the following course of action:

• Assure the continued safe operation of the existing nuclear power plants and facilitate the extension of their operating life;
• Develop and deploy advanced nuclear power plants, including fast-neutron reactors;
• Increase the contribution of nuclear energy as part of a balanced energy mix and expand its use beyond electricity generation;
• Promote electrically driven public transportation systems and encourage the continued development and increased use of electrical energy in all forms of transportation.'

It also produces a variety of booklets, developed as 'a leave-behind for members to use their grassroots outreach', presenting nuclear as a green technology.

For example, its brochure The Greening of the Nuclear Age 'focuses on the contributions of nuclear science & technology to sustainable development efforts [and] discusses ways in which nuclear technology has been fulfilling the Rio Principles for many years'.

Membership

A full list of members is available on ANS website. Notable members include:

• Areva
• Bechtel
• BNFL
• Constellation Energy
• Duke Energy
• Exelon
• Florida Power & Light
• GE Energy
• Nuclear Energy Institute
• Westinghouse

ANS also has student chapters at 34 US universities, plus two more in Canada and Mexico.