Australia's future as a radioactive superpower.

After a recent email from a good friend referring to the release of radioactive material into the drinking water of a South Australian uranium mine, I was immediately provoked to join the current debates that are embroiling politicians and citizens alike.

Nuclear energy emits very little carbon dioxide, and is claimed to be the most viable "clean" energy [sic] available to meet a power hungry nations needs. This must also be balanced with the fact that nuclear waste, the possibility of accidents or terrorism and the destruction of valuable areas are major concerns to all.

I am afraid to say that with Mr Howard's biased Nuclear Australia Inquiry and the fact that about 25% of the worlds Uranium is found in Australia, we mightn't have too much of a say in this matter. It is of course vital that we as citizens look at both sides of this issue and find the common ground on which to demand from our Government.

Green Energy such as integrated power grids, solar, wind and tidal power generators should and will be the future of our countries power supply. These energies are renewable and sustainable. These technologies are advancing rapidly yet their implementation is not large scale, and by no means could we ween ourselves off coal straight onto these clean sources.

The industrial juggernaut that rules the modern age is excited at this new interest in Uranium because they will certainly be the main benefactors. As we all or should all know, when large industries want the world to head in a certain direction they customarily get their way, leaving Governments and nay-sayers in their wake. To repel this push towards uranium is a colossal task, so we must think carefully about where we put our political energies because an ill thought unfocused resistance to a large industry push would be impotent.

More than 25% of the worlds uranium is found in australia, surely it would be foolish to pass up the opportunity to export and use such a precious natural resource. The Australian people have relied on the windfall of coal and this is another opportunity to boost our economy. The prospect of increasing our Uranium exports also brings the question of whether it is viable to enrich uranium locally and export as a value-added product thus creating jobs and increasing profits as enriched uranium is of course much more valuable than the raw product (just ask Iran). All of these factors weigh heavily on the Governments mind, and should not be overlooked by the rest of us as all Australians will benefit economically.

There are other options to consider when thinking about our nuclear future. Thorium is a radioactive metal that is less volatile and easier to mine than uranium. It is safe to produce energy as it requires a particle accelerator to split the atoms thus removing the threat of accidents or meltdowns. The by products of thorium, the waste if you will are actually no more radioactive than coal ash, which also has low levels of radiation. Another benefit of thorium is is can be used together with spent uranium rods and during the fission process harnesses their energy and leaves them much safer for disposal. Thorium Power Inc. is currently testing Thorium reactors in Russia. These Thorium Plants know as ADS are specially designed and not much greater in expense than a standard Nuclear reactor, although it must be noted that most current Nuclear Reactors cannot be retrofitted with this new technology. This fact makes Thorium Reactors look economically unfeasible for some countries already using Nuclear Energy to a large scale. However this is a great opportunity for Australia as we are still in our Nuclear infancy.

I feel it would be ignorant of Australians to oppose the expansion of our Uranium mines and increasing our exports through enrichment.
Saying this Australia should by no means begin building standard Nuclear reactors as we have the opportunity to use Thorium and even the possibility of buying spent uranium to use within them. The Governments proceeds from uranium exports should be invested into the research and implementation of renewable energy sources. Such a large investment into this area would make us a world leader in Renewable energy and eradicate our dependance on other sources of energy, which would also be of economic benefit. To blindly oppose the industrial juggernaut is of course futile, but if the Left can concentrate their efforts into a viable compromise for a Green Australia, with clear and defined goals a truly great compromise can be made.