Wednesday, May 9, 2007

The uranium debate
Many governments are trying to look at alternative to fossil fuels. One that has repeatedly come up us nuclear reactors and uranium mining. There has been heated emotional debate going on, especially in Australia, in relation to these matters. I aim to take a purely non-biased standpoint on this debate, in relation to what is being said. over the coming weeks, we will examine the rasons put forward for nulear reactors.

There is no alternative to nuclear reactors if we are to reduce fossil fuel use.
Currently, the most efficient energy is produced using fossil fuels, especially coal, at 60-80% efficiency. Solar, wind, and hydroelectric are around 20-30% efficient. Nuclear rectors currently are 50% efficient.
The reason why reactors are so enticing is the amount of potential energy output. If we used all the uranium in the core, we could get enough energy to power Australia continuously for a number of years. Since we can only use 1-2% of the core before we have to replace it, we can only imagine the amount of waste by-products generated.

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