Nuclear Waste Essay -- Environment Pollution Papers

Nuclear Waste Australia is a major player in the grand scheme of the worlds nothing needs. Its large land mass and geologic history has provided it with an extensive list of mineral resources. Australia, therefore, since the initial gold rushes of the 1850s, has amaze to depend heavily on the archeological site industry. In particular, the discovery in the 1950s of uranium and new coal deposits created a wave of mining that to present has proven to be quite juicy for the countrys economy.1 Australia is unique in that it is the worlds second largest producer and exporter of uranium,2 and the worlds largest coal exporter.3It comes as no surprise, therefore, that current cypher issues regarding waste products hits close to home for Australia. However, Australias contributions to and use of fossil fuel and nuclear energy are all very different. The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 has enabled Australia to assume a role that not only contributes to the efforts of emissions red uctions, but also allows it to continue its economic benefits of coal mining. Solutions to and decisions about nuclear waste management, on the other hand, are ofttimes more difficult to come to. While Australias future in the coal industry will depend greatly on the results of the Kyoto Protocol, the future of nuclear waste management may eventually greatly depend on Australia.History of Mining and Nuclear PolicyDue to its large production of coal, Australia has come to rely heavily on fossil fuels as its primary source of energy.4 While it might seem appropriate that nuclear energy be another(prenominal) significant source, since uranium is a significant component of the fuel used to run nuclear reactors, this is not actually the case. Au... ... Zwaan, op cit.20 Langer, Nuclear waste management and the priming coat sciences21 Nuclear Electricity, Sixth Edition, August 200022 Ibid.23 Holland, op cit.24 Ibid.25 Nuclear Waste Storage (Prohibition) Act 1999, in Holland, op cit. 26 Parliamentary Debates, Senate 26 August 1999 in Holland, op cit.27 primordial Minister Howard in Holland, op cit.28 Holland, op cit.29 train der Zwaan, op cit.30 Nuclear Electricity, Sixth Edition, August 200031 Holland, op cit.32 Nuclear Electricity, Sixth Edition, August 200033 Langer, op cit.34 Holland, op cit.35 Nuclear Electricity, Sixth Edition, August 200036 Holland, op cit.37 Ibid.38 Senator Minchin in Holland, op cit.39 van der Zwaan, op cit.40 Ibid.41 ENST 309 Lecture Notes.42 Beardow, op cit.