Energy Sources Pros and Cons
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DLIST Benguela. (n.d.). Energy sources: What are the pros and cons. Retrieved from http://www.dlist.org/burning-issues/energy-sources-what-are-the-pros-and-cons
This website gives a summary of the pros and cons of different forms of renewable and non renewable energy supply.
Statistics on Australian Uranium
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World Nuclear Association. (2015, July). Australia's Uranium. Retrieved from http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Country-Profiles/Countries-A-F/Australia/
The Australian economy is unique in the OECD in that about 20% of GDP is accounted for by mining and mining services (in 2012). Uranium is a small part of this economically, but in energy terms, uranium (3944 PJ in 2012-13) comprises one-quarter of energy exports.
General Overview
There have been suggestions in the past that Australia build nuclear power stations. However the ready availability of coal and a strong public feeling that these technologies were unsafe, following the accidents at Three Mile Island in the USA in 1979 and at Chernobyl in the Ukraine in 1986, meant that Australia chose not to pursue this as an option.
Later however, as it became clear that some action needed to be taken to mitigate climate change, proponents of a nuclear electricity industry in Australia became more vocal and took a greater role in debate on energy sources. In addition, the Howard government made it clear that it had not ruled out a nuclear future. To find our more visit the Parliament of Australia site.
Nuclear Power
TWIG. (n.d.). Nuclear Power [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www-twig-world-com.db.plcscotch.wa.edu.au/film/nuclear-power-1339/
Pros and Cons
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ANSTO. (n.d.). Nuclear Energy. Retrieved from http://www.ansto.gov.au/NuclearFacts/BenefitsofNuclearScience/NuclearEnergy/index.htm
Nuclear power has been in use for decades and is one of the fastest growing energy options for countries seeking energy security and low-emission energy solutions.
Globally nuclear power is the only proven base-load energy option available that has low carbon-dioxide emissions. In the production of low-emission energy, nuclear power is comparable with wind and hydro-electric and more green than solar power, where production of the photovoltaic cells requires substantial quantities of power. -
Clean Council Australia. (n.d.). Our vision. Retrieved from http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/about/our-vision.html
We will not support nuclear generation technology given it is broadly considered to be non-renewable and is currently prohibited in Australia.
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Grimm, N. (2015, September 9). South Australia's Nuclear Royal Commission wants to 'gather facts' about controversial energy source
South Australia's Royal Commission into the use of nuclear power opens its first public session in Adelaide today with evidence to be heard on whether the controversial source of energy could help deal with climate change.
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Pert, P. (2011, June 29). Rio Tinto sticks with uranium despite nuclear ructions. The Age
RIO Tinto has vowed not to abandon its uranium ambitions, despite conceding the sector could stagnate for several years as a result of Japan's nuclear meltdown.
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ABC Regional News. (2015, September 9). Australia-India uranium deal could be worth $1.75B
An agreement to sell uranium to India is a step closer after a Parliamentary Committee cautiously supported the deal, as long as a series of safety recommendations are met.
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Parliament of Australia. (2010, November 22). Nuclear. Retrieved from http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/Browse_by_Topic/ClimateChange/responses/mitigation/Emissions/nuclear
This site explores the future of nuclear power in Australia. Nuclear power is defined and the benefits and disadvantages are discussed.
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Australian Government. (2015). Australian energy technology assessments. Retrieved from http://www.industry.gov.au/Office-of-the-Chief-Economist/Publications/Pages/Australian-energy-technology-assessments.aspx
The Australian Energy Technology Assessment (AETA) 2012 provides the best available and most up-to-date cost estimates for 40 electricity generation technologies under Australian conditions. These costs, detailed in this report and in an accompanying model, are provided by key cost component and include a levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) that allows for cross-technology and over time comparisons. -
Bachelor, M. (2011, October 9). For Australia, nuclear is the power of last resort. Sunday Age, The (Melbourne). p. 7.
If the government is so serious about reducing CO2 emissions, why do they keep ignoring the single most effective method for doing so: nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is far cheaper than 'renewables' and kills less people per unit of energy produced than even solar or wind. New generation reactors improve safety significantly and render the long-term waste storage issue moot, and thorium fast-breeder reactors cannot melt down accidentally at all. France has shown how easy and effective nuclear is at reducing greenhouse emissions. Why doesn't the government spend some of it's enormous 'clean energy future' research and advertising budget to help educate Australians about the facts around new forms of clean atomic energy?
