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Australia’s climate activists still reject nuclear power – Is that acceptable?


Guest essay by Eric Worrall

Nuclear power is no easy feat for climate activists – zero-carbon energy is scalable that most Conservatives and climate skeptics would accept. But despite the obvious advantages, green vegetable growers in Australia and elsewhere continue to shoot their prestige in the foot, by putting their distaste for nuclear energy ahead of what many of them do. they claim to be The global climate crisis exists.

Is nuclear power an essential weapon in the fight against climate change – or a toxic white elephant?

ABC Rural / Via Daniel Mercer
Posted yesterday at 6:43 am

Mike Young sometimes wonders why nuclear power has become an accepted part of life in his native Canada when it is still deeply controversial in his native Australia.

Main attractions:

  • There are calls to overturn Australia’s longstanding ban on nuclear power, which produces no emissions
  • Nuclear power provides about 10% of the world’s energy needs, although none in Australia
  • Critics argue that the high construction costs and time delays make nuclear power uneconomical

For Mr. Young, it’s an attribute that should be on the balance sheet of nuclear as the world tries to phase out fossil fuels like coal, diesel and gas.

“It needs to be part of the mix,” Mr. Young said.

“You have to remember that by 2050, the forecast is that we will double our electricity demand.

Mr Buckley is director of energy finance research Australia at the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), a consulting organization funded by environmental philanthropists.

The high investment costs of nuclear power plants and their tendency to run out of budget and time make them uneconomical, he said.

“Nuclear costs are almost always double what people estimate,” Mr. Buckley said.

“I know that there is not a single nuclear power plant in the world that was built without massive government subsidies.

“Why? Because a company can’t spend 20 billion dollars.

“And we’re not talking about Australian dollars; we’re talking euros, or pounds, or dollars – serious money.

“No company can afford that, especially if there is a 10-year delay

A ‘renewable, nuclear-free’ future

Mr. Buckley remains unconvinced by the small reactor arguments.

The technology is yet to be proven at the experimental stage let alone commercial level, he said.

Mr Buckley said the cost of renewable energy would continue to fall, making other options including nuclear power impossible.

“This is not the only plant operating in the world, and it is very likely that there will not be a demonstration small-scale nuclear reactor this decade,” Mr. Buckley said.

Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2022-01-15/nuclear-power-climate-change-key-or-white-elephant/100684314

The French and Swedish nuclear programs are clear evidence that the “high cost” of nuclear power in most jurisdictions is primarily the cost of red tape, not construction and operating costs. factory operation. France still produces about 70% of its electricity from nuclear plants. It only took 10 – 20 years for France to phase out most of its electricity generation from fossil fuels starting in the 1970s, and they did it without breaking the bank – a feat that can easily be replicated. worldwide, by copying the strategies France used to keep costs under control.

We know that small, affordable nuclear reactors are possible, because they have been built many times, by research institutes and even universities – more than you can say about affordable renewable energy systems.

But people like Think Tank director Mr. Buckley continue to raise hopes for the prospect of reduced renewable energy costs, which they believe will happen in the near future.

If the Greens really want immediate bipartisan support for zero-carbon energy right now, they can cast aside their fears and delights and join forces with their political opponents, to wholeheartedly sell the idea of ​​nuclear power to the public.

But despite the debacle of renewables for decades, most green people continue to oppose a form of carbon-free energy that could reduce global CO2 emissions almost instantly. They continue to pin their hopes on the imaginary renewable technological advancements that they think are imminent.



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