<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/were-going-to-miss-the-bus-if-we-wait-for-nuclear-says-new-chief-scientist/>
"Australia’s top scientist faces a showdown with a future coalition government,
casting doubt on the opposition’s plan to establish nuclear energy.
Oceanography professor and former CSIRO chief Tony Haymet has been named new
Australian chief scientist, to provide independent advice and research to the
federal government.
Prof Haymet, a former director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and
chief of marine research at the CSIRO, said the appointment was a “job of a
lifetime”.
But the chief scientist is concerned about a coalition proposal to establish
seven nuclear power plants in Australia in the next decade using small modular
reactors.
Prof Haymet said he backed a CSIRO report, which said the proposal did not
provide the most effective solution for low-emissions energy, despite
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton criticising the findings.
“I was quoted as saying I’d like to go and see (a small modular reactor). The
fact that I can’t means they don’t exist yet,” he said in Canberra on Tuesday.
“You may not be surprised to hear that I think the CSIRO report is a very fine
piece of work. I don’t know of any mistakes in it,” he said on Tuesday.
“The evidence (on small modular reactors) is not looking positive in the short
term.
“So I’m looking at the slate of energies that are going to be available to help
us right now. If we wait until we perfect wave energy or nuclear fusion, or
some other source of power, we’re going to miss the bus,” he said, echoing
remarks by the head of the biggest electricity utility in the US.
Prof Haymet said the nuclear industry needed to demonstrate it could build a
reactor on time and ensure it operated safely.
“The nuclear industry has accepted the fact that they have to rebuild their
social license to operate,” he said."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
