The lights are on, until they cut the power
November 2nd 2006 23:04
While being enlightened by the morning news today about the current state of humanity, I witnessed a story involving protesters and a logging truck. So in light of this act of stupidity I feel it necessary to point out a few home-truths regarding some well-published views of environment activism.
It is a well known fact that most environmentalists are opposed to the mining industry. Be it coal mining, oil refineries, metal ore or uranium, you name it they’re opposed to it. But what they fail to understand is that the raw materials gained from these mining operations are the building blocks for many of the creature comforts we as a society enjoy.
The coal mining industry, for example, controls the primary resources needed to produce electricity in this country. Without coal, our society would be very much in the dark. Literally. While more eco-friendly ways of generating power are becoming more available (wind power and solar energy), they simply do not have the output capacity needed to sustain our energy hungry society.
This brings us to nuclear power. Australia has only one functional nuclear facility, which does not produce power, and if left to the environmentalists never will. The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) is the primary source for cancer fighting drugs in this country. Without the uranium necessary to power such a reactor, many people with early stage, curable cancers would have little hope of survival. And with the rate of cancer rapidly rising, this nuclear facility could one day be helping you or someone you love, if it hasn’t already.
There have also been recent discussions regarding the viability of nuclear power stations in Australia. The argument for all parties opposed to such a move can be summarised in one word. Chernobyl. The world’s greatest nuclear disaster has paved the way for anti-nuclear campaigners everywhere. The Chernobyl meltdown is a fine argument for stopping these power stations if you ignore all the evidence surrounding the situation. Technology in this field has come a long way in thirty years, isn’t it time to reassess the argument on this one?
The cars we all drive are fuelled by the oil industry, the metal manufactured to build the cars is produced by, and you guessed it, the mining industry. Without it we would still be living in caves and travelling but horse drawn cart. Well that is, if the greenie’s let us have the logs to build the cart of course. So the next time you flick on a light switch, hop in a car to get from A to B or are admiring that newly built bookshelf, remind yourself where it all started, before jumping on the bandwagon to cut your own throat.
It is a well known fact that most environmentalists are opposed to the mining industry. Be it coal mining, oil refineries, metal ore or uranium, you name it they’re opposed to it. But what they fail to understand is that the raw materials gained from these mining operations are the building blocks for many of the creature comforts we as a society enjoy.
The coal mining industry, for example, controls the primary resources needed to produce electricity in this country. Without coal, our society would be very much in the dark. Literally. While more eco-friendly ways of generating power are becoming more available (wind power and solar energy), they simply do not have the output capacity needed to sustain our energy hungry society.
This brings us to nuclear power. Australia has only one functional nuclear facility, which does not produce power, and if left to the environmentalists never will. The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) is the primary source for cancer fighting drugs in this country. Without the uranium necessary to power such a reactor, many people with early stage, curable cancers would have little hope of survival. And with the rate of cancer rapidly rising, this nuclear facility could one day be helping you or someone you love, if it hasn’t already.
There have also been recent discussions regarding the viability of nuclear power stations in Australia. The argument for all parties opposed to such a move can be summarised in one word. Chernobyl. The world’s greatest nuclear disaster has paved the way for anti-nuclear campaigners everywhere. The Chernobyl meltdown is a fine argument for stopping these power stations if you ignore all the evidence surrounding the situation. Technology in this field has come a long way in thirty years, isn’t it time to reassess the argument on this one?
The cars we all drive are fuelled by the oil industry, the metal manufactured to build the cars is produced by, and you guessed it, the mining industry. Without it we would still be living in caves and travelling but horse drawn cart. Well that is, if the greenie’s let us have the logs to build the cart of course. So the next time you flick on a light switch, hop in a car to get from A to B or are admiring that newly built bookshelf, remind yourself where it all started, before jumping on the bandwagon to cut your own throat.
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