Bishop wants to talk about the 'sliver bullet'

Nuclear power is frequently touted as the silver bullet to mitigate the world’s carbon dioxide emissions.

Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop - she wants
people to engage in conversation about
nuclear power caption

And now Australia’s Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, has joined the chorus, humming with the argument that Australia is well placed to take advantage of nuclear power.

Minister Bishop has declared that nuclear energy remains an option for Australia, describing it as an "obvious direction" as Australia considers how to cut carbon dioxide emissions after 2020.

Ms Bishop called for a an open discussion about the feasibility of nuclear power, given Australia's abundance of uranium, but accused Labor of resorting to a scare campaign when the issue was raised during the Howard government years.

Her enthusiasm for a process which is, admittedly a low producer of carbon dioxide emissions, conveniently overlooks several pertinent points.

Australia has no nuclear power stations at all, although the country has a rich resource of uranium, the prime energy source used in nuclear power stations, and the country would need up to 20 such power plant.

Building a nuclear-fired power station is not something that takes just a few months and best estimates put construction time at about 10 to 15 years – quite simple time that cannot be wasted building something that brings with it huge embedded energy costs.

The other issue that simply has to be considered is cost – small change will not even build the fence as any nuclear power plant that will seriously impact on Australia’s energy needs will cost in the $billions and Australia doesn’t need just one, we need maybe up to 20.

To talk about nuclear power now is simply political convenience and claptrap and in doing so denies the reality that Australia’s energy needs can be easily meet through the use and integration of various forms of renewable energy.

The story headed: “Julie Bishop reopens nuclear debate as route to cut carbon dioxide emissions” published in The Age is about pandering to populism with nuclear power being about the retention of centralized power, rather than the democratization of renewable energy that allows communities and individuals to do their own thing.