Nuclear Power In Australia

I am a researcher. I think most of my colleges agree that we have the technology to produce low carbon intensive electricity. All of this debate about future technology is pointless because solar cells are getting so cheap that we can generate as much clean energy as we want. The market will decide that solar energy is the future, it has no competition.

I have thought a fair amount about what we should be doing to reduce our carbon footprint, after all I try to design spaces that use very little energy. It is clear to me that in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, I am mainly talking about coal in Australia, we need to reduce our consumption of energy. There currently exists many ways to do this: passive housing, insulation, grass rooftops, natural ventilation, solar hot water and triple-glazed windows.

These pie in the sky renewable dreams are going to cost the Australian public an arm and a leg. One side of politics is trying to scare us into abandoning net zero, without nuclear we won't get to net zero! The last 3% of electricity will cost us billions and billions to decarbonise, and we'll be spending all of it on Chinese solar and batteries that will only last 15 years.

I was just a baby when they dropped the nuclear bomb over in Emu Field. Once I was diagnosed with cancer, I swore I would fight against anything nuclear. My people have got poor eyesight, epilepsy, all of that is because of radiation. I'm going to die because of a tumour in my kidneys. We still eat the bush tucker that's out there where the fallout probably landed. People need to know about this and how to government poisoned us, we were not informed of the impacts on our bodies, that information should have been in traditional language.

I think nuclear is like, an older technology. I mean, I have nothing against it, and it would have been good if we built it 50 years ago. But now we have solar and wind and stuff like that which is just cleaner and better, right? I know solar is basically free electricity once you install it so unless nuclear is cheaper than that, I don't think I would support it.

I live in a place that might get a nuclear power plant soon. My dad thinks it's a great idea because it will bring jobs and help our economy. He says that nuclear power is reliable and will keep our lights on even when the sun isn't shining or the wind isn't blowing.
But my mom is worried. She heard about the risks of radiation and accidents, and she's scared about what could happen to our environment and our health. She also worries about how the nuclear waste will be handled and if it will be safe for future generations.
In school, we learned about climate change and how we need to find ways to reduce carbon emissions. My teacher said that nuclear power doesn't produce carbon dioxide like coal and gas do, so it could help fight global warming. But we also learned about renewable energy, like solar and wind power, which are getting cheaper and better all the time.
I hope the adults make the right decision because kids like me will have to face the consequences for a long time.

From a policy perspective, it's a matter of policy for the government. We understand nuclear power, and how to control the reaction but I'm not an economist, and I can't build a grid. It's a complicated issue. I understand that there's a lot of emotion. But I can say that if we do have nuclear power here in Australia I am confident that it will be regulated as safely as possible by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency.

Hello, I'm Peter. I worked as an engineer for 35 years, and I've seen a lot of changes in how we produce and use energy. When I started my career, coal was king, and we didn't think much about the environment. But now, things are different. Climate change is a real threat, and we need to find cleaner ways to power our lives.
I've always believed in the potential of nuclear power. It's a reliable and powerful source of energy that doesn't emit carbon dioxide. Countries like France and Sweden have used nuclear power safely for decades, and they've managed to reduce their carbon footprints significantly.
But I understand the concerns people have. Accidents like Chernobyl and Fukushima were terrible, and they show what can go wrong if we're not careful. We need the highest safety standards and strict regulations to make sure nothing like that happens here.
We need to reduce our carbon emissions, and nuclear power can help us do that.

I moved over here from France and one of the biggest cultural differences I’ve noticed is how apprehensive people are about nuclear power. No one really has such strong opinions in France. And, can I say, we have a much lower carbon footprint per person than you do here in Australia. I would say that that is in large part due to nuclear energy. I have no idea about the physics side of it. But I would say that the fact that energy company is owned by the government is a good thing in terms of keeping electricity to a price that is affordable.

As a mother and an environmental activist, I'm deeply concerned about the kind of world we're leaving for our children. Climate change is already having severe impacts, and we need to act now to protect our planet.
Safety is my biggest concern. The thought of a nuclear accident terrifies me. The disasters at Chernobyl and Fukushima show that even with advanced technology, things can go wrong. I worry about the long-term health effects of radiation and the potential for catastrophic accidents.
Then there's the issue of nuclear waste. It remains hazardous for thousands of years, and we still don't have a foolproof way to deal with it. Storing it safely for such a long time is a huge responsibility, and any failure could have devastating consequences for the environment and future generations.
I'm also concerned about the high costs and long construction times for nuclear plants. Investing in nuclear power could divert resources away from developing renewable energy sources like solar and wind, which are getting cheaper and more efficient all the time.

I'm all for nuclear power, it sounds like a great idea.
The cost of running the farm, which requires a lot of power is just getting too high. We need a reliable and affordable energy supply to keep our farms running and our produce competitive.
Nuclear power could provide a steady and reliable energy source that doesn't fluctuate with the weather. And if we had nuclear, I wouldn't need to have all those lines running through my property.
Sure, there's risks, but I also think we shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket. Renewables like solar and wind have a lot of potential, especially in sunny and windy areas like ours. Some of my neighbours have installed solar panels and are pretty happy with the results. But we can't rely on them so we should definitely go down the nuclear path.

I think it would have been good to build nuclear power like 20 years ago. But now we have better options. It's kind of ironic that the environmental movement cost us so many greenhouse gas emissions by fighting against nuclear power. You know, if we had just followed France and Sweden and built nuclear we would already have a clean grid.

I heard that Japan had super bad regulations and that's why Fukushima happened. Europe has better regulations, but they are shutting down their power stations anyway. It doesn't make any sense. But yeah, here nuclear power costs too much so it wouldn't work.