Antinuclear

Nuclear lobby is really just a bunch of guys each squabbling over their pet project

There is an area of the “nuclear debate” that needs exploring. That is – the realm of contradictions and humour in it all.

People agonise, thinking that the “nuclear lobby” is one great monolith – too big to successfuly oppose.

But in reality, it’s more like a little bunch of squabbling bovver boys.  One lot wants to build “Generation III” reactors, using uranium. Another lot want  Gen IV reactors of various competing types, that are still not much more than a glint in the eye of the pro nukes.  Then there are “fast breeder” and various types of reprocessing reactors (fraught with problems). Then there are the new geewhiz Bill Gates “travelling wave”. small reactors.  Then there are the small “thorium” reactors (that would ruin the uranium industry).

The beauty of it all is that the proponents of each type are really in cut-throat competition with each other..  It shouldn’t take too much to show the public how damn silly they all are.

But I suppose that the winning argument will always boil down to money.  Because it is so heinously expensive to properly shut down nuclear reactors, pro nukes might prevail over governments –  to keep right on with nuclear power, so that the ever more expensive problem of burying it can be avoided, by passing it on to our grandchildren.

February 23, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Christina reviews