Brawny
Anglophobiphile
Too Slow: To have any significant impact on greenhouse emissions, 100s of new nuclear reactors would have to be built. Each reactor takes about 15 years to plan & Construct, which is too late in teh race against global warming.
Too Expensive: Each reactor costs several billion dollars to construct and operate. This money would be diveted away from much more effective, safe & timely greenhouse reduction measures. Renewable energy sources are increasingly cost effective & cheaper than nuclear power. For the same investment, wind power generates 5 times as many jobs as nuclear power.
Too Ineffective: Nuclear power is not an effective means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Energy efficiency measures deliver almost 7 times greater reductions in greenhouse emissions per dollar invested than nuclear power.
Too Expensive: Nuclear weapons are but one of the by products of a Nuclear industry. If you have the reactor, you have the ability to have a bomb. The risk of water contamination is very high at the uranium mining stage of the nuclear feul cycle. Rio Tinto's Ranger uranium mine in the Kakadu National park has troubled history with over 120 documented incidents, spills & leaks since it opened in 1981. Workers were recently exposes to drinking and washing water with uranium levels 400 times greater than the maximum Australian safety standard. The contamination - and a subsequent seperate leak of around 150,000 litres of contaminated water into a creek system of Kakadu World Heritage listed wetlands - saw the mine temporarily shutdown.
Too Thirsty: Australia is one of the driest continents on earth and water is scarce and valuble. "The water requirements for a nuclear power station can vary between 20 to 83% more than for other power stations." (Australia Dept. of Parliamentary services). Every stage of the nuclear feul cycle requires vast amounts of water, for example, BHP Billitons Olympic Dam mine in South Australia (my state) is the largest industrial user of water in the southern hemisphere.
Alright...I'm in school at the moment, so you guys discuss! :yesnod: :smilewinkgrin: