Understanding the Formation of Attitudes to Nuclear Power in Australia

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The debate on nuclear power was a polarising issue through 2007. This project will provide vital ground-clearing work at the national level so that, should that issue, or a similarly complex issue, be reactivated in the future, a more mature and profound debate may proceed. Such a service will benefit the many communities that are becoming engaged in the discussion about nuclear issues. They include the Federal Government, some conservationists, many energy-source industries, and all those concerned about the world’s future response to climate change. This project will clarify the political, scientific, environmental, and social contexts in which decisions on nuclear energy may be made in the future. It will not, though, seek to participate in the decision-making process: rather, it will provide the essential basis that informs good policy. Since the project will involve all four learned academies in Australia, its successful implementation will teach an invaluable lesson in the benefits of multi-disciplinary work. It will bring together the research and analysis of historians, political analysts, physicists, environmentalists, legal analysts, economists, cultural critics, and anthropologists – to mention only the most obvious experts for this issue. Web publication of all papers involved in the project will make the outcomes of its activities accessible throughout Australia and the world. A book publication will also result from the project.