I think the basic problem is that the 'green left' saw nuclear power and the fear and hysteria they could create around it and its 'big corporate' nature as a good political wedge. Generations of lifstyle activists have spent their lives revolving around and protesting about the demon of nuclear energy.
Now ofcourse we need nuclear power for both economic and greenhouse reasons and these people are naturally reluctant to 'eat crow'. The fact that Garret and Carr have had the courage to do so is I think laudible. I still harbour resentments of Garret for the fear and loathing he created. We are well behined because of them.
Nuclear power supplies some 60% of Switzerlands electricity, 80% of Frances, 50% of Swedens. It has been safe an clean.
It is likely anyway that we will be able to destroy long term nuclear waste by transmutation in either a fast neturon reactor (as demonstrated in the IFR Integral Fuel Reactor 20 years ago) or by using a cyclatron with spallation to provide the neutrons to do so.
Even if transmutation is not develped digging a 1 km deep vertical shaft and digging a dozen radiating horrizonatal spoke like tunnels radiating from this can be used as a nuclear waste repository. Depending on reprocessing done most of the radiation has disappeared within a few hundred years anyway.
Australia could have avoided it but 20 years of unneccessary immigration post 1980 has depleted our water capacity and as we only have coal left for base load power we would need to built several new power stations to both supply base load power and then some more provide power for desalination. Wind and Solar might provide 10%-20% of our energy with some mild subsidies but beyond that we enter the realm of the speculative and rediculouse.
It takes 6-10 years to build a conventional power station and it will take longer to build a nuclear one, train all the people needed and develop all the ancilliary processing and support industries required.
We're going to have to get moving as a planet and as a people. We've almost left it too late.
