The Chinese have the right idea. Build lots of coal an nuclear power stations, and develop new technology like msr with the intention of replacing the coal furnaces with msr reactors should they become economically viable. By pursuing renewables Australia is heading toward a dysfunctional power grid and economic hardship.

Old nuclear reactors aren't recommissioned due to metal fatigue and because, in conventional reactors, the internal pressure required to keep the coolant liquid has to be a staggering 150 atmospheres!

And the associated pressure-related metal fatigue could result in another Chernobyl where, we believe, escaping superheated steam instantly flashed to a highly explosive mixture of hydrogen and oxygen. And very possible even in a hair-thin crack.

Besides, why conventional when MSR needs only ambient air pressure, or put another way, less pressure than in your tyres!

Just as planes are mass-produced by Boing in a factory, MSR modules can be built in a similar mass-produced setting and what's more, using other folks gifted money!

Moreover, could be rolling off of the factory floor in around 12 months from now, using other folks, gifted millions! Creating very well paid, jobs, jobs, jobs!

And if we don't have all the skills necessary? We can import some guest labour expertise until we do! At which time they can be repatriated!

It's not ever about no can do! But rather huge vested interest in coal and coal exports, neither of which does very much for our domestic economy!

Besides, we could export raw energy to those current coal markets if we choose, using graphene cored, undersea cables. All of which could be financed with other people' gifted money! Given we take their nuclear waste, which in MSR technology is just tons of unspent fuel! And the lowest power prices in the world for a thousand years!

But only if we own and operate ourselves! As government-financed and facilitated energy reticulating co-ops!

No! Why not? Too many bought and paid for pollies perhaps? For the life of me, I can't fathom any other credible reason?
Alan B.

Yes Alan, climate does change, it always has. However no one has ever come up with any proof that CO2 has anything to do with that change, & in fact there is much proof that it can't be responsible.

I have no interest in what process generates our electricity, I simply want the cheapest power possible, & currently that is coal. It was gas in the US for a while, & it may be nuclear if it wasn't strangled by excessive regulations, but currently nothing beats a coal fired plant built on top of a coal mine.

It must still be pretty much the cheapest even after transporting it hundreds of miles by train, & thousands by ship, or the pragmatic Chinese wouldn't be importing so much of it. Don't denigrate one good thing because you favor another, & stop falling for a scam because it favors your choice of power generation.

While you are agreeing, disagreeing with each other, don't forget that, no matter what you believe should or shouldn't happen, the few people who have all the power neither know what you think, nor do they care what you think. I heard the surviving member of the Hitchens duo saying the other day that, after all the years he has been writing, talking and trying to be heard, he is giving up; it's all been a waste of time. That's a very well internationally- known commentator and scholar speaking. There's not much point in anonymous nobodies like us doing anything other than having our personal say and moving on. To me, it's a break from reading and doing crosswords.

" the conservative side whose opinions are very often on the wrong side of history"

But very much more often on the right side of history.... although history doesn't really have a side.

"global warming has most people and experts in agreement."

In agreement? About what? Do they agree that there is warming and that some portion of that is caused by human emissions? Yep.

But that's not the issue. The issue is what, if anything, should be done about it and on that there is no agreement among people, experts or nations.

Okay Alan, so existing nuclear is too problematic and dangerous to fix, whereas on paper msr has had all its technical problems solved and is perfectly safe? Out of interest, Germany's reactors were shut down by decree, not because of any technical failings.