David King

History

Sir David King

Sir David King was appointed the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of the Office of Science and Technology in October 2000. Born in South Africa in 1939, and after an early career at the University of Witwatersrand, Imperial College and the University of East Anglia, he became the Brunner Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Liverpool in 1974.

In 1988, he was appointed 1920 Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Cambridge and subsequently became Master of Downing College (1995-2000), and Head of the University Chemistry Department (1993-2000). He retains his position at Cambridge as 1920 Professor of Chemistry. [1]

From Sceptic to Proponent of Nuclear Power

King has become a trusted advisor to Tony Blair and one of the key people who has persuaded Blair for the need of a nuclear revivial. His enthusiasm for nuclear has led Guardian columnist George Monbiot to write that he fears that "the government’s chief scientist is mutating into its chief spin doctor." [2]

Media reports suggest that King’s conversion to nuclear power has been made only recently as the evidence on climate change has accumulated. For example, the Guardian reported in October 2005 that "The government's chief scientific adviser has sent his clearest signal that Britain will need to revive its nuclear power industry in the face of a looming energy crisis and the threat of global warming ... Prof King, one of Tony Blair's most trusted advisers, said the public debate on nuclear power needed to focus on the environmental benefits. "It's important we do take the public with us on the environmental debate. That is why I'm trying to sell it - it's precisely because of the emissions."

The media report how King used to oppose nuclear power and has warmed to nuclear power as the science of climate change has solidified. [3]

However, King has been calling for new nuclear power consistently now since 2002. [4] Even before that he was an advocate of nuclear power:

Links to the Nuclear Industry

Over the last few years, King has spoken consistently in favour of nuclear fusion and fission. In 2001, King was the Chairman of a meeting of Fusion Fast Track Experts that recommended that “The ITER (an experimental fusion reactor) project is the essential step towards energy production on a fast track�. The subsequent report was known as the King report. [5] King hopes that nuclear fusion will be used in the next thirty-five years in the UK. [6]

He has also not been shy of speaking at nuclear conventions:

Sir David spoke at the inaugural conference of the World Nuclear University in September 2003. The aim of the University is the “safe and increasing use of nuclear power as the one proven technology able to produce clean energy on a large global scale�. Other speakers included James Lovelock; John Ritch the Director General, World Nuclear Association and Hugh Collum, the Chairman of BNFL. [7]

During his speech King said: "From a young scientist’s point of view, the message to get across is that nuclear energy continues to offer exciting and new challenges, with a strong potential to provide a path forward for our future energy problems and for the sustainability of our global low-carbon economies. It is an industry with a vibrant future - that’s the message to get across, and let me also say a critically important future." [8]

In May 2005 he was the Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker at the British Nuclear Energy Society Annual Dinner. [9] A year later, in May 2006, King is due to speak at the Inaugural Nuclear Industry Forum of the right-wing think tank the Adam Smith Institute. The supporting association for the event is the Nuclear Industry Association [[10]]

Related Articles

• George Monbiot, Our Own Nuclear Salesman, The Guardian, October 25, 2005