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Australia's Big Coal Ad Against Nuclear Power

Rod Adams received this ad from a fellow blogger the other day and posted about it.
It is a very straightforward effort by the coal industry to scare people about nuclear power - not really so much about the typical aspects of nuclear power that some try to use to instill fear, but the threat that nuclear power poses to coal mining jobs.

This kind of ad can only work in a place like Queensland that has a high concentration of miners, but it supports my theory that a lot of what you read about energy needs to be viewed in the context of knowing that it is the world's largest and often most lucrative business. Competition over market share is often the hidden motive behind the emotionally laden messages from all kinds of different people.
Depleted Cranium picked up on Rod's post and shared these thoughts:
The thing I especially like about this is that it singles out nuclear as a threat to coal. Wind? Solar? Oh those are no threat. Build as many wind turbines as you want. Build solar plants. That has no affect on the job security of coal miners.

Also, it apparently is becoming harder and harder to lie about the facts regarding nuclear power’s economics or safety. So what’s left? Just try to cry for sympathy and be a little more honest, stating that the real reason is that the opposition has a vested interest in a competing and inferior power generation method, I guess.
I wonder what would happen if the coal industry in the US ran an ad like that. I bet they would get ridiculed online.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Antinukes often indavertently make arguments that actually support nuclear power. This fantastic example should make all of us pro-nukes grin from ear to ear.

The coal industry admits it: in the long run we can't compete with the superior technology, so we're appealing to your goodwill to save our jobs. They also inadvertently say that piddle power (wind and solar) is inadequate. If piddle power actually had a chance of supplanting coal, you can bet these coal miners would let you know.

Yes, absolutely. Nuclear power will kill the coal mining industry. It's way overdue.
Arvid said…
Will the nuclear industry kill coal?

Yes We Can!


/Starvid
richardw said…
And the coal industry is powerful in Australia. Nuclear is just not on the Agenda since change of Govt. and was always unpopular.

Meanwhile the coal industry's stranglehold is being cut back slowly.

The cost of Wind power in Auistralia is now below coal power. Coal power plants are just not going to be built - so if you think it's a battle between Nuclear and Coal in Aus. you are sadly mistaken.

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