Midnight Oil

Subject: Keep us radioactive free!
From: "Tom Spencer" <tomspencer@eml.cc>
Date: 24/07/2009, 11:26 am
To: powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au

Midnight Oil

Dear Chris
 
Thanks for the detailed response.  I'm not an engineer, but apart from your point about the might of Treasury and my understanding that there's only 45 years worth of uranium world-wide even if we went full tilt at it, alternative energies keep getting sidelined by the coal and oil industries, in Australia at least, making the utility of nuclear unclear.
 
A lobby group calling itself "the Greenhouse Mafia" has been proud of its ability to knock back attempts by former Senator Robert Hill (once with "Mr Fishnet Stockings" Alexander Downer!) to promote alternative energies.  Backed by the coal and oil industries, they are reported to have sidelined even the insurance and gas industries in Australia.
 
So I'm very sceptical when a cashed-up industry like nuclear comes ahead of renewables such as wind, geothermal and solar energy.
 
"Keep us radioactive free!" as the Environment Minister sang (though not on any night in Canberra or Melbourne recently, methinks.  Or, so many songs and band members, so little time?)
 
t