Chernobyl 25 years on

It is true that all industries are vulnerable to human error and all our other frailties, but only nuclear power has the capacity to spread its dangers so comprehensively over continents and generations when things go wrong.

If there is one other thing we need even with the limited extent of nuclear power that already exists - it's a sturdy conscience. With nuclear power, we are committing ourselves to leaving huge quantities of radioactive waste to our children, grandchildren and beyond.

The nuclear industry says that they can deal with it. Then why don't they?

In Australia right now, low and medium level nuclear waste is on the verge of being forced on the aboriginal people of Muckaty in the NT in Federal Resource Minister Martin Ferguson has his way. Meanwhile the high level stuff piles up around the globe.

If we genuinely had no alternatives, nuclear power might be the only way to go. But we do have choices. It's about time there were serious government money put into the renewable energies and energy efficiencies which are our real future. Chernobyl should have prompted us. Fukushima leaves no excuse.