Support from New Friends

(Written 18 January 2022)

The Save Chalumbin campaign has much support locally including both our local federal and state MPs. It is easy to find information about Chalumbin by just googling the name. Destroying ecology and habitat critical to the survival of endangered species, is not “green” power!

Even according to the project’s referral under the EPBC act, Epuron states: “Despite the avoidance, minimisation and mitigation measures…, the project is anticipated to have a significant residual impact on the greater glider, the red goshawk and the magnificent brood-frog.” Epuron sold the project to Korea Zinc about a month ago. Did they realise Chalumbin was one step too far?

At that first coffee meeting, I mentioned that nuclear required a lot less space on the ground than renewables. Some of the campaigners were thrilled with this idea, and even offered to develop a website for me so that I could blog about the benefits of nuclear power. This offer gave me the emotional impetus to act but I refused their offer of financial support to set up the website. I wanted to maintain my independence. Over the last couple of months, I have tried ridiculously hard to see both viewpoints on many issues. It can be hard to determine the facts and undertake your own assessment, but I have been trying to do so.

Since finishing slides for my presentations, the group has sent me some remarkably interesting documents about many topics relating to decarbonisation which have added to my already large and growing collection. I love articles that quote their sources because then I can go back and really look at what the original article said and look at actual data and assess it when I can. I am grateful for the support. There is so much out there and of such varying quality.

I do believe there is a real place for renewables, but we must not be blindfolded to the downsides. More and more, I do see a place for nuclear power and sincerely hope that many of the new designs for nuclear power plants are implemented. Some days, I have felt negative about the chances of nuclear power really taking off in time but slowly and surely, I am becoming increasingly optimistic.

There are now green groups and many individual environmentalists who once shunned the use of nuclear power generation, changing their minds. The Green Party in Finland is pro-nuclear. There are now members of the Green Party in Australia who are pro-nuclear. I have been disappointed by the Swedish Parliament who seems to be dominated by the Green Party and is planning, at huge financial cost, to shut down working nuclear power plants. This is even though most of the Swedish population are still pro-nuclear.

In the last week, I have discovered some of the pro-nuclear groups operating in Australia. Most of their information is fascinating and written by people so much more knowledgeable than me. I have gathered so much material about renewables and nuclear that I feel this blog should share some of the information or at least direct others to great sources.

I would like to say a big thank you to Helen Keough and Caroline Emms who have been working so hard to save Chalumbin. Their friendship and encouragement keep telling me to get out there and do what I can.