We have to go back to the horse, fossil fuels are wrecking too much of the environment, the emissions are out of hand, and the result is climate change and complete worldwide devastation. If you believe everything you are told.
I bring up the horse thing because obscurely, Chris Penk, our Minister of Defence, has suggested we revisit our nuclear free stance. He got thoroughly rubbished for doing so and I’m not quite sure why.
Because while most of us agree with our position on nuclear weapons, I’m not sure why we are so opposed to nuclear power. Obviously, I’m no expert, but for all my faults, I’m pragmatic, and I see that if driving the world with fossil fuels is so bad for us, and I’m sure it is, why are we not looking at all the alternatives, rationally?
That there have been some major disasters with nuclear power plants, is well known, and getting rid of the nuclear waste is a yet to be solved issue.
These are good reasons for caution, but I’m not sure what’s wrong with nuclear powered ships, submarines, or trains for that matter.
I wouldn’t trust our electricity suppliers as far as I could kick them, they are paying themselves a fortune, to provide us with power, from assets our tax dollars paid for. And there is no public sympathy for new hydroelectric generation, or for any on shore coal mining, to power thermal generation either.
Solar is a great bet, a positive way forward in the green world we wish to live in but will solar be enough?
A highly respected and erudite Waimiha farmer I know once suggested to a group of us that the best opposition to the large power companies is actually us.
The consumers, coming up with our own alternatives.
Obviously, it’s easier for landowners to achieve than city people, but even people in towns and cities can be more efficient and use less of a commodity that is only going to get more expensive.
So why not remain nuclear weapon free, a stance we are all proud of, but have a rational debate about nuclear power? I’m not a zealot, if there are reasons why we shouldn’t go down this path, I’d love to hear them.
All I’ve heard so far, is that we mustn’t, we know rational beyond the political emotion.
The horse thing is actually stupid… not only would we need too many, but you can never catch them when you need them, and they would need more grass than the whole dairy industry.
But we should be looking for alternatives, so that’s my point. I think hydro power is great in the right place; I think solar power is the way forward in many situations. Maintaining the generating capacity we have now is a no brainer, for the future though, I think we need more that these alternatives can provide.
That’s where to me a rational debate about nuclear power becomes necessary.
