No need for nuclear power

Nuclear power has indeed become “politicised”, but this is not the reason Australia has never developed it as a source of electricity (“Pity nuclear energy is powering politics rather than our homes”, October 13). Generations of engineers, scientists and economists have always been technology neutral, but most have concluded that nuclear power in Australia has been much too expensive compared to coal-fired power and compared to renewable sources and associated back-up storage. Other comparable countries have not had such low-cost coal and have higher cost renewables, which is why they began including nuclear power in their systems during the 1950s and 1960s. The government’s decision to set up a parliamentary inquiry into nuclear power is very welcome. The Coalition in government had a similar and related inquiry in 2019. David Hind, Neutral Bay

The world is still sleepwalking into climate and environmental disaster. Microplastics and PFAS are everywhere, including at the top of Everest and the bottom of the oceans, so why would you want to add to the ever-increasing mountains of nuclear waste, the only solution for which is storage onsite at hundreds of sites around the world? Australia doesn’t need to go down the risky nuclear road forced on many European countries, and the contention that “whether nuclear and renewables, or renewables only, a grid will have to be conceived around these logistics” is just naive and misinformed. That grid exists already and just needs more tweaking as generators come and go with new ones connected and old ones decommissioned. It has been thus for the past 150 years or so. As to the idea that, “Jokes aside, France’s issues demonstrate that when modern nuclear power production has problems, they are small and do not bear out the fears of the Chernobyl generation.” Have you heard of Fukushima? Adding more nuclear to the world, let alone Australia, just confirms that we are heading for the dystopian future long portrayed by Hollywood. Peter Kamenyitzky, Castle Hill

As Australia has no developed nuclear industry beyond Lucas Heights for supplying nuclear material for medical purposes, the article is correct in stating “it could be decades before nuclear would come online”. We don’t even make car engines. The conclusion that “Australia would be best served by taking an off-the shelf approach using existing full-scale reactor … and importing teams to build them” is way too premature. Nuclear power advocates consistently fail to consider the existing huge development by households and businesses in installing their own solar power. There is also existing strong growth in Renewable Energy Zones (REZs), also called Local Energy Hubs, or Community Energy Hubs in the Illawarra, Hunter, New England and the Central West for starters. Too many proposers of nuclear power disregard the initiatives that individuals and communities are doing now to reduce energy costs and reduce carbon emissions. Bill Johnstone, Blackheath

Settler mentality

The settlement of Australia was based on the ruthless slaughter of our original Australians and wholesale theft of their ancestral lands. Bridget Brennan, you are a testament to the resilience of our Indigenous people (“Past and presenter”, October 13). That a viewer would object to any Aboriginal person today saying, “Always was, always will be Aboriginal land”, on Australia Day of all days, demonstrates just how little they care to know of the brutal history of white settlement of this country. Bruce Spence, Balmain

Cowards in masks

It is a challenge to comprehend how these white supremacists are outright rejecting the idea of immigrants wearing the hijab or burqa in Australia, yet many of them hide behind balaclavas, scarves and masks to make sure that their identity remains hidden (“Corowa neo-Nazi rally sparks call for united front against hate”, smh.com.au, October 13). To these men, I say, “Stand behind your actions, take them off and let us see your faces.” Cristina Corleto, Stanmore

How shameful is this? A country community which played a significant part in the framing of the Australian constitution has had its name sullied by a Nazi exhibition of white supremacy. I can imagine the disgust of the good citizens of Corowa at the publicity this incident has attracted. A group known for its love of authoritarianism and denial for the rights of minorities has taken advantage of democratic free speech to promote its cowardly ideology. Derrick Mason, Boorowa

Suffer the children