Nuclear on a roll: By and large renewables such as wind cannot deliver continuous reliable supply of electricity, let alone on any scale. Internationally, the nuclear renaissance is gathering steam. At present, 30 nations representing two-thirds of humanity use some 440 nuclear reactors to produce 16 per cent of global electricity, from 368 GWe (gigawatt electric) of capacity – more than seven times Austialia’s total.
Emissions can be cut: Twenty-seven more units are being built in 10 countries because they make economic sense, 38 more are firmly planned, and more than 100 are further back in the pipeline. Doubling the world’s nuclear contribution would eliminate one-quarter to one-third of the CO2 emissions from power generation.
Aust "could do more": Radioactive emissions from nuclear plants are negligible – giving far less exposure than the natural background radiation we all happily live with. Meanwhile, Australia provides a quarter of the mined uranium for a world increasingly concerned with the clean and reliable production of large amounts of electricity. We could do even more.
The Age, 28/4/2006, p. 13
Source: Erisk Net