Nuclear Australia

[Collo]

As it has been a much advocated subject, Australia is taking steps forward to becoming a nuclear powered nation. I was wondering what your opinions are on the topic of a nuclear Australia.

Personally putting the security issues aside (as I have a strong belief in our countries Security Services) the move to nuclear power is a smart one. With increasing pressure to conform to the Kyoto Protocol, this is move can see Australia cut down ?negative? emissions.

With applications such as increased employment and modern safety procedures, nuclear power in Australia is a safe prospect to power our country into the next generation as well as generating employment options to Australian tradesmen. To not acknowledge the benefits of renewable energy that is readily available would be steering the Australian economy and environment in the wrong direction.

I welcome nuclear power with open arms, do you?

[Chris]

I dont see anything wrong with it , its clean etc etc idk what the fuss is about.i think its a smart move.

[101st Airborne]

Frankly I am embarrased for our nation that a scruffy, bearded, cheesecloth wearing, Volkswaggon Kombi driving, left wing, great unwashed, protesting rabble has been able to influence the Australian Labor Party for so long.
All around us, lesser nations are building nuclear power stations whilst we have been denied this advancement by this technically ignorant rabble.
Finally some on the left of politics are realising that nuclear is cleaner than coal.

[Collo]

What is funny is that Kevin Rudd is for nuclear power where as his enviromental minister, Peter Garret (the same one from Midnight Oil for those who don't know) originally was against it but now due to internal pressure from within the ACTU/ALP has changed his mind and is now considered a traitor to the enviromental cause by his hippie mates.

The ACTU/ALP are too busy figthing amoungts themselves, like so many times before it will bring about their own downfall.

[101st Airborne]

It won't stop them being voted into power by the 'rabble' though.

The 'rabble' are sick of Australia being perfectly managed. They want controvesy so they can get back to their protest marches.
How do you protest at our perfect economy?

[Collo]

I love a good old protest march, brings all the interesting people out of the wood work which makes my job that much more interesting.

The "rabble" as you put it don't know whether they are coming or going and will only make their real vote come election day. They know that the ACTU/ALP are bad for the future.

NOW getting back on topic.

Nuclear power is the cleanest option for us to take. We have the best technology with the right people with the best training that will manage the sites, why not have nuclear power.

[Chris]

I think Nuclear , wind , solar power would be the cleanest way(witch if john Howard stays pm will happen)

does anyone think Kevin Rudd will win?

[101st Airborne]

Yes Chris. Please refer to a my previous post.

[Collo]

Well those about to retire are most likely to vote for John Howard as a result of the brilliant budget that Peter Costello recently announced. The plans that the Howard coalition have install for the superannuation will have those who are about to retire (age 50-65) looking forward to his re-election as the schemes that the Liberals/Nationals have ready will stem work growth and encourage Australians to work longer as a more flourishing superannuation benefits await them.

Those in the military most likely to vote for John Howard are those who have roles such as cooks/clerks/security and the like as the ACTU/ALP have plans to begin to outsource roles and I quote Julia Gillard ?that are of a less strategic value?. The Howard coalition have plans to increase ADF numbers and job prospect that include a commitment to encourages those with a trade or seeking one to enlist, serve their country and also become a skilled tradesman.

Those who are economically inclined will vote for John Howard as his financial track record and the release of the recent budget shows that the countries economic future will continue to grow, something that will go astray if Kevin Rudd wins the election. The ACTU/ALP have a very poor (now that?s an understatement) record managing the federal budget.

The business community in general whether that be the Macquarie Bank or the corner shop owners will vote for John Howard as the IR laws have paved the way for Australia to reach never seen before heights in economic security.

Those who care about national security will vote for John Howard as it is claimed that the ACTU/ALP will re-shape the intelligence services. This does not need doing. The AIS have a good track record, our nation is yet to be attacked by terrorist activity, why go and unsettle a series of departments that have proven themselves so far. The ACTU/ALP plans for the intelligence services will save millions of dollars if they release their first budget.

Now this is the funny part. Those who vote for John Howard will be the people who see the larger picture regarding the environment. The general consensus is that nuclear power is bad. With examples like Chernobyl, that is understandable. However unlike the dying days of the Soviet Union, Australia has the best trained and best equipped personal to man the planned nuclear sites. As Australia is yet to sign the Kyoto protocol, establishing nuclear sites will gut greenhouse emissions pumped out by our existing power sources. The addition of the nuclear power programs will add to our nations prospects of enjoying a safe green future.
 
Those who will vote for Kevin Rudd and there is a lot of them are the ones who either get welfare as the ACTU/ALP have plans to increase the amount of ?income support? one gets if they choose not to work or are scared that John Howards? IR laws are an economic threat to the country. Now the above segments I have posted will count for nothing come election, the main issue of this election and that will make or break the next sitting government will be the IR Laws. The ACTU/ALP has been able to hide their financial miss-management under the IR Laws.

The masses only care about the IR Laws, this will be the major hurdle that the Howard Coalition will face.

[the gunny]

I feel its a viable solution to a nations energy problems. And yes, even North Korea, and Iran. Every nation needs to have access to steady reliable power sources. The only real drawback to going nuclear is what to do with the spent fuel? Even here in the states, we haven't got a satisfactory solution. We do have a location inside a mountain that we are currently setting up, but there are way too many questions and concerns over all of it.  Spent fuel still has a life in it in the hundreds of thousands years, so how to protect the future from it? Still though, that mountain idea has plenty of merit as its certainly better than keeping all this spent fuel above ground in sealed containers scattered across the nation.

Has this specific issue been brought up and discussed yet? It is or should be a prime consideration.

[101st Airborne]

If Australia begins to generate power from a nuclear fission source the waste will be buried far underground out in the dry desert in central Australia.
Australia is hoping for the long awaited nuclear fusion technology that will mean no waste is left.
It is all consumed.
The world awaits it and many scientists are working on it.

NUCLEAR FUSION
A panel of laser physicists from seven European countries has put forward proposals for a new 735 million euro facility to study an alternative approach to nuclear fusion than that which will be tackled by the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER).

The provisionally titled HiPER facility would be based on ?fast ignition? laser fusion technology, in which two separate lasers are used to compress and heat a small capsule of deuterium and tritium until the nuclei are hot enough to undergo nuclear fusion, producing helium and neutrons. The energy of the neutrons is then used to generate electricity without the production of greenhouse gases or nuclear waste. The panel of scientists says that the facility could also be used to support experiments in other areas of physics.
 

June 28th, 2005
Building a Star on Earth: France to Construct Nuclear Fusion Reactor!
 
 After 18 months of negotiations, an agreement has been signed today between the ITER parties to build the experimental fusion reactor in Cadarache, France.

The ? 10 billion project will be the most expensive joint scientific collaboration since the International Space Station.

Nuclear fusion extracts energy from same reaction that powers our sun. It is much cleaner than nuclear fission and fossil fuels, producing very little radioactive waste with no risk of meltdown.

Temperatures of over 100 million degrees celcius (many times the temperature of the centre of the sun) are required to sustain a fusion reaction capable of producing large amounts of energy. The ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) will be the first fusion reactor to produce thermal energy comparable to the levels of conventional power stations.

[the gunny]

oh, the old fusion plant trick. let me know how it turns out! Even if they were to achieve it, it's a long, long way off from taking fusion and making a power source out of it.

[Collo]

It sure is. The proposed locations for the spent fuel will be in the middle of nowhere. Australia has a lot of free space that is a safe place to desposit the waste.

I just want to add; Victorian Premier, Steve Brax welcomes the idea of  nuclear power in Australia and I quote "as long as they don't restrict the current lifestyle of all Victorians". So basically the bloke wants nuclear power aslong as the facilities are not in Victoria. I guess he wants to leech of NSW for the power!

[101st Airborne]

Yep, and bury the waste in Western Australia.

Gunny, the technology might yet be short of the mark, but it is the most promising way out of all mankind's future problems. If you think that there is a lot of nuclear fission waste around now, how much waste will there be in another 100 years if they don't perfect the fusion technology. Why criticise it? Hope they succeed, and soon.

[Collo]

Don't forget the southern part of NT and parts of SA. Quite a bit of space there.

[Observer_1938]

It may be an idea to do something else before we go down that road......................

a little bit of thought about the various Nuclear Veterans and their families........and also not forgetting the indigenous population..............50 years on ......and still no action

http://users.bigpond.net.au/anva/


                         or why not have a look at................


http://www.yokwe.net/

            the website for the Marshall Islands........then check out their nuclear background