Just to set the scene, here is some nuclear statistics. In 2008, Canada generated 88.6 billion MWh of nuclear electricity to meet 14.8 percent of the total electricity demand for an estimated population of 33,212,696. As of February 1, 2010, Canada has 18 nuclear reactors in operation with the total capacity of 12,652 MWe, 2 nuclear reactors under construction with the capacity of 1,500 MWe, 4 nuclear reactors planned with the total capacity 4,400 MWe, and 3 nuclear reactors proposed with the total capacity of 3,800 MWe. To put it proper perspective, in 2008, the world generated a total of about 2,600 billion KWh of nuclear electricity which represents 20.9 percent.

Thanks to the famous speech on Atoms for Peace which US President Eisenhower delivered to the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 8, 1953 which shifted the total focus of nuclear research and development from the military to the civilian use of nuclear energy, namely for electricity generation. The ideas expressed in the speech became instrumental for numerous things including the concept of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It took almost three years from the date of speech but the IAEA statue was approved unanimously by 81 nations including Canada in October 1956. The Statute outlines the three pillars of the focus of IAEA – Nuclear Verification and Security, Safety, and Technology Transfer. Following the approval of the statue, the IAEA came into existence in 1957 to respond to the deep fears and expectations resulting from the discovery of nuclear energy.

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, also Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT or NNPT) is a treaty to limit the spread (proliferation) of nuclear weapons. The treaty came into force on 5 March 1970 and currently there are 189 states party to the treaty, five of which are recognized as nuclear weapon states: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China (also the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council).

Four non-parties to the treaty are known or believed to possess nuclear weapons. India, Pakistan and North Korea have openly tested and declared that they possess nuclear weapons, while Israel has had a policy of opacity regarding its own nuclear weapons program. North Korea acceded to the treaty, violated it, and withdrew from it in 2003.

The treaty was proposed by Ireland and Finland and they were the first to sign.

The NPT consists of a preamble and eleven articles. Although the concept of “pillars” appears nowhere in the NPT, the treaty is nevertheless sometimes interpreted as a three pillar system, with an implicit balance among them:

non-proliferation,

disarmament, and

the right to peacefully use nuclear technology.^[1]

It should be kept in mind that in addition to providing clean, cheaper, electricity a dazzling array of nuclear technologies helps to improve medical diagnosis, protect livestock health, develop water resources (i.e. desalination), preserve food, promote agricultural productivity, cure human illness, enhance human nutrition, advance environmental science, eradicate virulent pest and strengthen industrial quality control.

With the objective to discourage the military use of nuclear energy, 190 countries around the world had signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1968 which came into force in 1970 and according to which these governments are totally committed not to develop nuclear weapons in their countries and they had agreed to welcome the IAEA inspections which are designed to detect a nuclear weapon project. While all nuclear material requires rigorous care, it is acknowledged that the use of nuclear energy for civilian purposes including the production of electricity has not contributed to the danger of nuclear weapons or their proliferation.

It has been accepted across the world that nuclear reactors do not emit greenhouse gases and are no threat to humanity. It is consistent with the mandate of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of nuclear energy to peace, health, and prosperity throughout the world. This is a part of the Atoms for Peace programme which was introduced right after the World War II, following the speech to the UN General Assembly delivered by US President Eisenhower on December 8, 1953. In his final statements of the speech, the President stated that the United States pledges before you, and therefore before the world, its determination to help solve the fearful atomic dilemma – to devote its entire heart and mind to finding the way by which the miraculous inventiveness of man shall not be dedicated to his death, but consecrated to his life.