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The Forum > Article Comments > Japan steps away from nuclear power > Comments

Japan steps away from nuclear power : Comments

By John Daly, published 26/9/2012

The global nuclear power industry has three strikes against it: cost, catastrophes, and the not inconsiderable problem of disposing of nuclear waste.

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This declaration
"a development that ensures that developed nations will be in increasing competition for global supplies of oil, natural gas and coal, whose production is struggling to keep up with increasing demand."

Granted coal prices are historically high due to demand from China but they have come off the boil and are now sliding down the other side (temporary recoveries aside). Basically the resources boom is past its peak. Oil prices are certainly up, for various reasons, but gas prices globally have been coming down (albeit going up in aus, because the gas market is becoming global).

This is good news as conventional power is becoming more competitive with nuclear power, and attempts to change this through carbon pricing aren't really working (higher electricity prices in Aus are due to distribution costs, not fuel costs).

So countries who have decided to get rid of their nuclear plants can replace them relatively easily with efficient, well managed gas and coal plants, and perhaps even reduce power prices. There will be an increase in emissions, but that is the penalty we must pay for this obsession over nuclear energy.

Some people want to replace sections of the fossil fuel capacity with renewables? Tell them they're dreaming.
Posted by Curmudgeon, Wednesday, 26 September 2012 11:35:51 AM
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What a boring, unimaginitive regurgitation of stale opinion!

Nothing about the crippling costs being experienced by both Japan and Germany as they pursue nuclear-free futures. No mention of the massive increase in brown and black coal, oil and gas which these two nations are committing to, either.

As the true costs of renewables and non-nuclear baseload become clear to Blind Freddie, he will lose interest in faddists and emotionalism. As major industrial business exit Japan and Germany, the penny will drop, even for those who are currently blinded by spin.

World food shortages and rising oceans will drive massive population movements and resource wars. Deaths from these alone will rise to hundreds of millions per annum, which is a million-fold increase over the deaths due to nuclear power generation, which has cost less than 100 lives in the more than 40 years since its inception. People will then be impatient for real answers and will not accept shallow unreasoned opinion-mongering.

Let's hope that that day comes quickly, because time is short.
Posted by JohnBennetts, Wednesday, 26 September 2012 7:22:52 PM
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