[Rictor]

http://www.sundayherald.com/56617

Hipocracy and arrogance ahoy!

World leaders are planning a massive expansion of nuclear power in their own countries and across the developing world, according to documents drawn up for the G8 summit and leaked to the Sunday Herald.

An action plan for “global energy security” to be agreed in St Petersburg next weekend envisages a network of nuclear fuel plants in G8 countries combined with the widespread sale of reactors to developing countries – as long as they promise not to use them for making nuclear bombs.

The idea is to keep the more sensitive nuclear facilities that can be easily diverted for making bombs within the G8. Other countries would not be allowed to enrich uranium fuel, or to reprocess spent fuel to extract plutonium.

They will be permitted to run reactors to generate electricity but will have to buy fuel enrichment and reprocessing services from G8 countries. “Participation of developing countries in a ‘shared nuclear energy system’ through developing the network of international centres providing nuclear fuel services could be a viable option for reducing their energy poverty and bridging the energy gap,” the plan says.

So all the backwards, untrustworthy savages (i.e. most of the world) have to beg for fuel enrichment "services" from the G8 countries, for a handsome fee I'm sure, while an elite club of rich natons, who have no legal authority to make or enforce rules, get to decide who is trustworthy (themselves) and who is not (everyone else) to posses advanced nuclear technologies. The arrogance is so thick, you can almost taste it.

[pecenipicek]

and we can do exactly diddly squat, so...

[Sarafan]

That simply doesnt make sense, you know, why would they market this kind of technology to the rest of the world? Such would result in the widespread of the technology to any decent enough terrorist group out there and the technology itself is ridiculous to produce energy, there are many others that can produce not only more but can get you more money while doing it.

[aldo_14]

That simply doesnt make sense, you know, why would they market this kind of technology to the rest of the world? Such would result in the widespread of the technology to any decent enough terrorist group out there and the technology itself is ridiculous to produce energy, there are many others that can produce not only more but can get you more money while doing it.

It's so a) they can sell key parts to countries (and indeed gain leverage) and b) to reduce the price of oil.

Should 3rd world countries begin to develop things like renewable power supplies, too, then that'd weaken the G8 nations; imagine, for example a hot african or middle east country becoming a net exporter of solar power.  It's unlikely, but the very possibility probably scares the **** out of the likes of Russia and the USA (who make money from gas/oil respectively)

[Sarafan]

Yes, I know that but a better course of action to maintain their dominance would be to develop those types of technology (renewable power supplies) and keep it in your hands instead of doing this.

[aldo_14]

Yes, I know that but a better course of action to maintain their dominance would be to develop those types of technology (renewable power supplies) and keep it in your hands instead of doing this.

Ah, but that would reduce the leverage from, say, having the existing gas supplies.  I mean, you can plan to do this sort of thing, it doesn't mean you will - it just helps put off other countries from looking at alternate power sources.

[castor]

That simply doesnt make sense, you know, why would they market this kind of technology to the rest of the world?

While doing so, they'll attain at least some level of control over things that would happen anyway. I guess.

[vyper]

I like this plan.

Don't look at me like that.

[Goober5000]

It's so a) they can sell key parts to countries (and indeed gain leverage) and b) to reduce the price of oil.

FYI, oil companies are more profitable when the price of oil is high.  Elasticity of demand and such.

[Black Wolf]

Meh. Australia's not in the G8, but we have the technological skill to build our own reactors and enrich our own fuel within a couple of years tops if we put our minds to it, plus we have the worlds largest supply of Uranium. Greater nuclear energy = good for Australia. G8 attemptimg to control nuclear power = utterly irrelevant to Australia if we decide to tell them to stick it.

[Kosh]

It's just more of the "we're rich so you should do exactly what we say" line that's been coming from the developed world for quite some time......

[Grug]

Meh. Australia's not in the G8, but we have the technological skill to build our own reactors and enrich our own fuel within a couple of years tops if we put our minds to it, plus we have the worlds largest supply of Uranium. Greater nuclear energy = good for Australia. G8 attemptimg to control nuclear power = utterly irrelevant to Australia if we decide to tell them to stick it.

I can't really see johnny saying that. =/

Then again, I don't really see the Liberals staying in for another term if people wake the **** up to themselves...

[NGTM-1R]

In a way I think it's more about who can afford to properly secure the enriched uranium so every two-bit yahoo with an agenda and a penchant for violance doesn't get ahold of it. The G8 countries can.

And it's much more difficult to bribe somebody who's already rich...

[aldo_14]

It's so a) they can sell key parts to countries (and indeed gain leverage) and b) to reduce the price of oil.

FYI, oil companies are more profitable when the price of oil is high.  Elasticity of demand and such.

Uh-huh, but the economy is also oil-dependent.