Arctic Climate Expedition / New Nuclear Power

About 45 million years ago, Arctic temperatures were balmy - sometimes over 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This radio broadcast discusses the new data obtained from an Arctic drilling expedition, which indicates that the Arctic was green, with fresh surface water and ferns covering the water 45 million years ago. The finding, researchers say, indicates that they may have seriously underestimated the power of greenhouse gases to warm Arctic areas. The subseafloor sediment samples, gathered from 430 meters beneath the Arctic Ocean, also fill in gaps in the known climate history of Earth. There is discussion of evidence that the transition between a greenhouse world into an ice-house world happened quickly. The Arctic climate broadcast is 16 minutes and 7 seconds in length. The website also contains a radio broadcast discussing why some environmentalists are now warming up to nuclear power and how new technologies such as the pebble bed reactor may make nuclear power cleaner and safer than in the past. There is discussion of whether nuclear power is economical, and how many plants must be built to offset greenhouse gas emissions associated with global warming. The nuclear power broadcast is 30 minutes and 30 seconds in length. Educational levels: General public