The Wire

For years, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant meltdown in the Ukraine was held up as the dark side of dabbling in nuclear energy, providing many with a compelling reason for seeking out safer, cleaner energy sources. But with the end of the cold war and the emergence of a new foe, namely global warming, nuclear energy has undergone an image makeover. Prime Minister John Howard has come out in support of an expansion of Australia’s nuclear facilities, promoting it as a “clean and green” alternative that could help fight climate change. In fact in the past few days both the PM and the resources minister have come out in support of nuclear energy, and have suggested that within the next 10 years Australia could have its first nuclear power plant. But putting aside concerns of nuclear waste and the threat of reactor accidents is the nuclear industry really low in carbon emissions? Max Lavergne spoke to Dr Mark Diesendorf, of the Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of New South Wales, and asked him just how clean nuclear energy is.