Nation’s power needs are the real issue and renewables can’t cut it

Chris Bowen and the Labor Party want the nation to hear nuclear energy arguments based on costs and time needed to achieve nuclear plants’ production. We all know that cost figures and project times can be rubbery to get to the required answers – on both sides of the political divide. The real issues are our future power capacity and reliability needs that a few years ago were unknown.

In 2024 Google and Microsoft signed separate contracts for their data centres to be powered by small nuclear plants. Amazon is on the same track as the power consumption of artificial intelligence went from 2kW to 10kW per rack to more than 100kW per rack for AI, with predicted increases of 33 per cent year on year. These are the facts.

Unfortunately, green energy simply cannot reliably deliver such power supply. The cost and time to deliver are more or less irrelevant. The need for nuclear power is not an option, it is a must.

Tom Klein, Manly, NSW

In light of anticipated blackouts this summer I believe the effects should be felt first by those most responsible. Therefore, power cuts required should be imposed in the following order: 1) federal Greens seats; 2) state Greens seats; 3) teal seats; 4) federal Labor seats, starting with cabinet members; 5) Liberal National Party seats. If done this way and published as such it just may cause voters in those electorates to reflect on their voting history.

Michael Hughes, West Pennant Hills, NSW

Anti-Muslim fears

Jamal Rifi is right in claiming it takes only one lone wolf to become radicalised for another Islamic State-inspired terror attack to occur in Australia (“Muslim Aussies on high alert”, 6/1). Some US commentators are linking the rise of Islamic extremism, such as the recent ute ramming in New Orleans, to chants such as “Globalise the intifada” and “Death to America”. Under a Trump administration there may be less tolerance for misguided student activism. Meanwhile, politicians such as Marine Le Pen in France, Geert Wilders in The Netherlands and Nigel Farage in Britain continue to exploit incidents of Islamic terror to push anti-Muslim immigration policies. Sweden, long seen as a model of openness, recently has tightened its asylum policy, with the country’s immigration minister blaming difficulties with integration for the change. In Australia we need to be concerned about hate speech from preachers in some mosques. This contributes to both the threat of terrorism and rising anti-Muslim sentiment.

John Kempler, Rose Bay, NSW

Labor’s shame

Australia is experiencing the effects of the Albanese government’s refusal to quell anti-Semitic rioting since its eruption on October 9, 2023. Penny Wong has inflamed the situation with her mixed-message responses. She is one of the few democratic politicians who, when visiting Israel after October 7, refused to visit the sites of the Hamas atrocities. As a result of all this, Ice Hockey Australia has “dumped the world championships in Australia over fears Israel’s presence will make it too dangerous for players and fans” (“Anti-Israel protest fears cost Australia international sporting event”, 6/1). How much more shame and division can this Albanese Labor government inflict on our country in its treatment of our long-established Israeli friends and democratic allies?

Mary-Anne Higgins, Rose Park, SA

Honestly, I lament for my country. That it has come to this appals and dismays me. Australia was once a shining example of how society should function. Today through our government’s lack of spine in dealing with the mad minority mobs, Australia is perceived as a dysfunctional, reactionary society with a federal government that is without unambiguous standards of decency and good governance.

George Greenberg, Malvern, Vic

Just not cricket

Sunil Gavaskar is justified in feeling snubbed at not being invited to join Allan Border in presenting Australia with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the end of the Australia-India SCG Test (“Gavaskar furious over trophy snub”, 6/1). Cricket Australia’s plan to have Border present if Australia won it and Gavaskar if India retained it was absurd given the trophy bears both their names. Border would have gained a deal of respect if he’d chosen to overrule Cricket Australia and invited Gavaskar to join him.

John Hughes, Kincumber, NSW

Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar had every right to be upset by the failure of Cricket Australia to include him in the presentation of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the end of the series. Gavaskar was at the ground and available, and surely the purpose of the trophy was to promote goodwill between the two countries. One would hope that Allan Border – assigned the role on his own – was similarly upset. Appalling decision by Cricket Australia.

Michael Fishpool, Carindale, Qld