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Australia should embrace nuclear power

In the wake of grave scientific warnings about the role of carbon emissions in climate change, prominent environmental scientists like James Lovelock have called for the world to employ nuclear energy as an alternative to fossil fuels.

Yet, Lovelock’s call has divided the environmental movement – and sections of the wider community – where there remain deep-seated fears about nuclear hazards (disposal, pollution, accident, weaponisation and proliferation).

But are such fears misguided or irrelevant when compared to the unfolding reality of adverse climate change?

Given our vast reserves of uranium, our stable political economy and isolation – does Australia have an obligation to embrace nuclear power?

The godfather of the climate change debate, Dr James Hansen, is coming from the United States to debate this vital issue of the use of nuclear energy as an alternative to the use of fossil fuels.

Joining him, for the affirmative, will be Dr Ziggy Switkowski, outspoken advocate of nuclear power and Dr Erica Smyth.

The negative will consist of Molly Harriss Olson, former Presidential advisor to President Clinton on energy, Dr Mark Diesendorf, world renowned writer on climate change and Dr Jim Green, nuclear campaigner for Friends of the Earth.

Watch the debate - video will be embedded here when available

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Speakers

For:

• Dr James Hansen is director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. However Dr Hansen will be speaking in a private capacity. Trained in physics and astronomy, Dr Hansen is best known for his Congressional testimony on climate change in the 1980s that helped raise broad awareness of global warming. Dr Hansen has been an active researcher in planetary atmospheres and climate science for nearly forty years publishing more than 100 scholarly articles on climate research. In 2006, Time magazine designated Dr Hansen as one of the world’s 100 most influential people; a tribute to his continuing efforts to serve the public through his scientific work.
• Dr Erica Smyth started her career as a minerals exploration geologist and worked as a project manager in iron ore, diamonds, gold and mineral sands before moving into government approvals and community consultation roles. Amongst her current roles Dr Smyth is Chair of Toro Energy, ScreenWest, Scitech and the Diabetes Research Foundation of WA. Erica is co-author of the book Red Dust in her Veins – Women of the Pilbara which has become a major seller and significant fund raiser for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
• Dr Ziggy Switzkowski is the chair of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. He is also a non-executive director of Suncorp, Tabcorp and Healthscope and Chair of Opera Australia. In 2006 he chaired the Prime Minister’s Review of Uranium Mining, Processing and Nuclear Energy which returned nuclear power to the country’s strategic debate. He has a PhD in nuclear physics and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Against:

• Molly Harriss Olson is a director of Eco Futures, an Australian-based international policy firm working on building sustainable strategies with business, government and civic leaders. Ms Olson worked in the White House as the Founding Executive Director of the President’s Council on Sustainable Development, and brought Al Gore to Australia for his first visit in 2003. Ms Olson was the sustainability expert for the Opening Plenary of the World Economic Forum's 2000 meeting in Davos, and has a significant speaking role on a variety of international speaking platforms.
• Dr Mark Diesendorf originally trained as a physicist however his research interests broadened into interdisciplinary approaches to energy systems. He became a Principal Research Scientist in CSIRO and is currently Deputy Director of the Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of New South Wales. He has served in a voluntary capacity on the boards of several energy groups. His most recent books are Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy and Climate Action: A Campaign Manual for Greenhouse Solutions.
• Dr Jim Green gained his PhD with the thesis Reactors, Radioisotopes and the HIFAR Controversy, concerning technical and social debates over the proposal to replace the nuclear research reactor at Lucas Heights in southern Sydney. Dr Green is currently National nuclear campaigner for Friends of the Earth Australia and Editor of Chain Reaction, the national magazine of Friends of the Earth. He has written for many journals, science magazines, books and newspapers, including a 40,000 word report Nuclear Power: No solution to Climate Change.

Chair:

Dr Simon Longstaff is Executive Director of St James Ethics Centre. Simon spent five years studying and working as a member of Magdalene College, Cambridge. Having won scholarships to study at Cambridge, he read for the degrees of Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy. He was inaugural President of The Australian Association for Professional & Applied Ethics and is a Director of a number of companies. He is a Fellow of the World Economic Forum and a member of the International Advisory Committee of the Foreign Policy Association, based in New York. Simon has been Executive Director of St James Ethics Centre since shortly after it was founded.