Surely the sensible approach would be for Australia to engage in processing uranium here all the way to fuel rods to meet the requirements of the power companies. We would then lease the rods to the power companies, deliver them, and recover them when they are spent. We would then bring them back to Australia for processing and safe disposal of the toxic wastes.

This approach would not only allow tight control over the movement and whereabouts of the material, but the power companies would probably welcome it, since it dramatically reduces the issues that they have to concern themselves with. In addition, it is likely to be a very lucrative business for Australia.

When can we begin to have a sane discussion about such issues?

Australia has about 40% of the world's uranium reserves not 100%. Selling uranium to France frees up supplies to go to India, and there are sufficient reserves in the rest of the world for supply for several centuries. Restricting supply to a couple of countries does nothing. Stopping all sales might increase the price of uranium slightly, but nothing else. This is all about gesture politics with zero practicality.

As the raw material is a minuscule fraction of the cost of producing nuclear weapons, the cost of sourcing the uranium is almost irrelevant, as low grade ore is available in nearly every country. Nuclear weapons are available to any country with the requisite cash and time. Stopping proliferation is impossible for those that are determined, and future efforts (as with Iran) can only focus on punishment for breaches of the treaty.

Russia at the end of the cold war had nearly 40 000 nuclear warheads. It would not need any uranium to make weapons for centuries.

Reprocessing of used Rods (as in France) drastically reduces the volume of waste, and allows spent fuel to be re enriched and reused, and needs to be a cornerstone of the post carbon energy scene.

Ya gotta hand it to the Liberals. Any chance they get, it seems, however ridiculous, they will put in a plug for Australia developing the full nuclear fuel cycle. Many years ago, the then Senator Jean Melzer deplored the possible future of Australia as "the world's quarry and waste dump". Yet this is the plan as far as the Liberals go. Atleast they're honest about it. There are many in Labor who have the same plan, but just keep quiet about it.

Anyone who still thinks that the nuclear power cycle is a good idea, should read the new online book - Nuclear Roulette: The Case Against a “Nuclear Renaissance”http://ifg.org/pdf/Nuclear_Roulette_book.pdf

But anyway, my sage comment today was really going to be about how Australia might sell uranium to Saudi Arabia. There's a country with an interesting culture. In yesterday's news, two items about Saudi Arabia:
1. An Australian man, a Shite visiting Saudi Arabia for a religious purpose, is to get 2 lots of 500 lashes, and imprisonment. It seems he broke some law by wearing a green headgear, thus offending the prevailing Sunni government's laws, and he prayed in the "wrong" way.
2. Saudi Arabia has announced it might now need to get nuclear weapons. - (Look out, any country where people might wear green headgear or praying carelessly?)

This half-baked article doesn't really address the disingenuous issues Gillard and the reformed ALP. have equivocally sanctioned, regarding the export of Uranium U3O8, to India. Is it yellow cake, or the enriched Nuclear variety ? Is it all measured in the fine print to Aust's 3rd largest Trading Partner, or simply put, is it yet another hedging device with our greatest recession prone collaborator, to offset China strategically ?

There has been thirteen mind-boggling Inquiries, beginning with Justice Fox,circa 1976; ever since the French Nuclear Tests, in the Pacific 66-96, with weapons of mass destruction, in the Mururoa & Fangataufa Atolls. Resulting, more or less, in a moratorium, after the McClellan Royal Commission debacle. It seem then, everything was finally put to rest. Until now.

The think-tank Lowry Institute's Rory Metcalf, has written reams about the present debate. His profound lectures covers Aust's National interest; Policy implications, and the US Alliance. Obama's visit, and the forthcoming Marine barracks complex, to house 2500 personnel in Darwin. Give and take 250,000 !

Whatever the final outcome, Darwin will replace Surfer's Paradise's proliferate massage-parlors-bordellos, as the most sinful City, after King's Cross. What a boon, to the dismal faltering Tourist Industry, and a windfall for all the madam's, across the Tweed, in NSW. Eventually, Darwin will replace colossal Diego Garcia, as the largest transit, R & R, recreational center, after Manila and Okinawa.

Too often exaggerated, Aust is depicted as the World's largest Uranium resource. After Kazakhstan, Canada, Aust scores 23% overall. Geologist, with newer technology continue to make seismic assessments, which involve secretive Business, and National Interest.

cont..

The vaunted Uranium exports to India is of dubious nature.India's NPT ( Non Proliferation Treaty.1970. ) signatory, has not been ratified. Nor is it likely to be, in the short / medium term. It already possesses the dreaded N-Bomb ( 1974-98 ) and the subsequent terminology is most confusing. Under the NPT, yellow cake cannot be diverted for Military use. Cannot be used for Electricity generation, and apart from Aust coal, LNG, wheat, livestock etc what possible use would India gain from the transaction ?
It remains to be said whether India will continue to import U3O8, when there are over 23 Countries, prepared to enter the affray. With no restrictions whatsoever, and tailored to meet India's other ambitions with Parkistan, in the Kashmir & it's regional neighbors.

Herbert stencil. Probably the most sensible post on this issue I have read in such a long tme!.. To have complete control over the life cycle of the product is to the benefit of all..... Immagine the wealth generated by the on going leasing of storage facilities of used materials going into the future... The amount of Ausaid available to developing countries for clean water/education/technical and food development would be astonishing. Essential elements for your suggestion to work: large quantities of high grade essessible ore, technical expertise to manufacture, transport, track and store used materials and stable geographic and political environment... Australia has all the above!