Additionally Noel, you've gone and repeated the same technically-flawed arguments in your "Independent Australia" article (which doesn't appear to allow non-administrators to comment) even after our critique.

e.g. "PRISM reactor is cooled by liquid sodium, which can very readily catch fire".

How deceptive can you be? Almost the entire article is a straw man too. "Nuclear priesthood"? "Nuclear lobby"? "Nuclear technocrats"? "Nuclear hierarchy"? I.e. you simply decided who we are, who we represent, and what we think. I guess it's easier to argue against false opponents.

I don't work for the nuclear industry. I'm not an engineer. I'm an ecology student with a low-income healthcare card. If I'm part of the "nuclear priesthood" then good luck to us.

Ben and others,

despite some pretty uncivil and ignorant sledging in bits,
plaudits to you for your patient, honest and reasonable presentation.

I reject the acusation that just because you work in an industry you are a shill. Those that argued that lost instantly. It is more a reflection on thier own lack of morality. Maybe they could work in an industry they could only cynicly defend with lies. Some of us take pride in our endevours.

I have been reading up on this topic for ages and have alway got bogged down chasing the unicorns thrown up by the anti nuke zeolots. I have tried to keep an open mind. I appreciate being told the facts. I really hate having to verify information from faux experts only to find I have wasted my time unpicking BS.

micheal_in_adelaide I cant figure out where you are coming from. Seeming to suggest there are no solutions and we are all stuffed? Better get used to a post industrialist future? Can you even imagine how horrible that would be? If I shared your view of the future I would go out and buy myself a kilo of smack to last the rest of my life.

I want a future for our species that includes space exploration and hightech health care. A middle class life of comfort for all. We have the technology so why not do it?

Once we have worked through all the low hanging fruit ore mineral / resource wise we are gonna need plenty of joules to keep providing the nessesities of life.

You sold me - Nuclear is the only way for now.