Tuesday 28 November 2006

Final Solution

My less-left wing brother in law (well actually he's less left wing than Alexander Downer if that places him on the political spectrum for you) quite rightly remarks that nuclear energy presents the Green movement with something of a dilemma.
While it is being offered as a "green solution", an alternative to the CO2 emitting processes which seem likely to destroy (have destroyed) all sorts of things about our planet that we have taken for granted. There is clearly a problem with the side-effects of nuclear energy and the disposal of waste. I am generally persuaded that Australia being geologically and politically stable can be a good 'dumping ground'. But no one really wants a dumping ground in their backyard if they don't have to have it.
The real dilemma is the thousands of years it requires for this stuff to be stored before it can be reprocessed ( by my reading it doesn't ever become safe again) and the exponentially increasing quantities of waste that will develop if we give ourselves to this form of power production.
Much as I hate to agree with my less left-wing b-i-l,he is right. There is a dilemma.
It was not helped by hearing a current affairs host today in discussing this issue say "We are a long way from the final solution on this issue". Final solution indeed, she is usually a lot more careful with her language.

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