'Time for sensible discussion about nuclear power'

Tweed doctor says the energy source should be discussed.

A nuclear power plant in France. Picture: EDF HO

A CUDGEN doctor says it's time for a "sensible discussion” about nuclear power.

In a letter to the editor, Dr D. Weston Allen, said:

"Climate change is real, but not all bad news.

By primarily warming winter nights at high latitudes, carbon dioxide reduces temperature variability and saves lives.

It also extends the arable area and growing season, fertilises plants and reduces their water requirements, thereby greening the planet and increasing food production.

Fossil fuels have directly enhanced the production and distribution of food, thereby greatly reducing famine, and curbed population growth by replacing child labour and enhancing their education.

Tackling climate change by turning corn into biofuel results in dearer food and more emissions, as does burning American forests as wood pellets in Europe.

Biodiesel from palm oil is destroying orangutan's forests and polluting Europe's air.

Millions of bats and birds, are being killed every year by wind farms.

The Taralga Wind Farm in New South Wales. Picture: Contributed

Mining the neodymium for their turbines is polluting inner Mongolian lakes with toxic and radioactive waste.

Wind and solar require enormous resources and expensive infrastructure to maintain power, thereby pushing prices up and industry, jobs and emissions offshore (i.e. to China).

The growing climate industry is plagued by propaganda and corruption.

Despite one degree of warming since pre-industrial times, cold weather still kills 20 times more people than does hot weather.

While air pollution from burning biomass in electricity-deprived homes in Africa and Asia kills over four million people annually, scrubbers and precipitators can remove almost all particulates from coal-fired power plants.

Gas-fired plants are even cleaner.

The safest energy source with the smallest footprint and lowest lifetime emissions is nuclear power, providing over 70 per cent of France's electricity at a fraction of the cost of Germany's shortlifespan renewables.

With the globe warming by just one eighth of a degree per decade and another solar minimum immanent, there is ample time for a sensible discussion.”