Nuclear Power

Is nuclear power a solution to combat climate change?

The prospect of nuclear power in Australia has been a topic of debate for many decades. Whilst we have never had a nuclear power station (they are banned in Australia), we do have 33% of the world’s uranium deposits and we are the world’s third largest producer of it.

Quite often support for nuclear power in Australia is driven by conservative ideologues (examples include Matt Canavan, Barnaby Joyce, Malcolm Roberts, and Newscorp media figures such as Andrew Bolt and Peta Credlin). Generally, those promoting nuclear power also support Coal, they oppose renewables, they attack environmentalists, they deny climate change science, and they have little knowledge of energy issues and options.

Proponents argue that nuclear power is a clean and efficient way to make electricity. In the context of climate change, nuclear power is seen as a potential solution to the problem of greenhouse gas emissions. Also the building of nuclear power plants will create jobs.

Opponents argue that nuclear power plants are expensive and take too long to build, require large amounts of water, have extreme consequences when something goes wrong (such as the release of radiation into the environment), produces waste that is radioactive and must be stored for thousands of years, can be potential targets for terrorist attacks and is limited by the availability of uranium (which is a finite resource).

Australia is one of the sunniest and windiest countries on earth. Building large-scale wind and solar projects is the cheapest way of producing electricity. It is also low risk, renewable and non-polluting. In comparison, nuclear power is the slowest, most expensive, most dangerous and least flexible form of new power generation for Australia. It makes no sense.

Nuclear power in Australia as an energy option is not in our best interest, hence the half truths and disinformation by wacko politicians, bias media outlets (Newscorp) and pro fossil fuel individuals online (i.e twitter) to convince us (well some…) otherwise.