I'm sorry but current nuclear technology is not the answer to greenhouse emissions. At best it can probably provide a small fraction of electrical power for a limited number of years. There is not sufficient uranium to provide the current world's energy needs for a significant number of years.
Nuclear power is not currently competitive economically - even with governments providing sovereign risk coverage for accidents, and with zero provision for long term custody of wastes and decommissioned plant. Don't forget that nuclear is not replacing petrol it is replacing electrical generation which still at this moment principally means coal. Coal is very cheap and will remain so for a significant number of years unless mechanisms are put in place to increase its cost (e.g. carbon tax).
The time frame for building nuclear power plants is substantial. When you look at this in terms of the time required to replace a significant part of the worlds electrical power generation, this severely limits its ability to provide a solution to greenhouse gas emissions.
There are other forms of nuclear energy technology that show potential for being safer, with potential for longer resource viability and greater energy provision at lower cost. However, these are in the research phase, and so are unlikely to provide a significant solution to greenhouse issues in an appropriate timeframe.
There are many people spouting that nuclear technology is the answer to greenhouse emissions, but they are mainly self-interested parties. The Federal Government is particularly supportive as are the minerals industry in Australia, primarily because Australia accounts for more than 40% of world proven reserves of uranium. Australia also has a massive dependence on the resources boom feeding China and India (to a lesser but growing extent in future years). Australia has run up ever increasing foreign debts despite the apparent good performance of the Australian economy almost entirely funded by debt. We are now around the same levels of foreign debt as a percentage of GDP that Brazil were when their economy was at its bleakest, despite record prices for our commodity exports. Without significant reform of our economy, uranium exports are almost an essential for continued growth. By the way, the minerals industry and government are well aware that increased exports of uranium will have zero effect on coal exports. Australia is the world's biggest coal exporter.
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