The Debate On Nuclear Energy - 1800 Words

The debate on nuclear energy and it’s potential stake in South Africa’s future has proven to be a contentious topic, with issues like transparency overshadowing the advantages the energy source could bring to the country. The prospect of nuclear energy as a primary source of energy is supported and questioned by various academics, researchers and NGO’s. The threats that accompany the thought of the deal are not just environmental. The nuclear deal has incited response from political, economical and ethical realms. In this essay, I will assume the role of an advisor to government, suggesting ways to promote and ‘sell’ the idea of bringing nuclear energy to South Africa. To form and provide a proper response to block threats and emphasise†¦show more content†¦Up until this point, plans for new nuclear build programmes were communicated in a transparent manner. After the signing of the Rosatom contract, the state law advisor suggested that the contract be tabled and presented to parliament for discussion under section 231.2 of the South African Constitution. However, Minister Joemat-Petterson tabled it in the form of section 231.3 instead, side stepping parliamentary debate and approval. The deal was then allegedly approved by the National Executive on the 9th of December 2015. Government Gazette, a state notice board, confirmed that the minister approved the deal and also mentioned that previous energy minister Ben Martins set the wheel in motion by signing a determination in 2013, that procures nuclear energy. A claim he vehemently denies (Mackay, 2015). The confirmation of the deal quickly replaced the previous air of transparency with looming, dark clouds of suspicion. The signed deal along with the refusal by the minister to supply information of the nuclear procurement process to Parliament’s energy affairs portfolio committee, increased reservations that the process wasn t being handled in a transparent mann er (Ensor, 2016). The way the nuclear issue was being handled caught theShow MoreRelatedEconomic And Environmental Pros And Cons Of Nuclear Power1411 Words   |  6 PagesENVIRONMENTAL PROS AND CONS OF NUCLEAR POWERSTATION IN UK â€Å"HARTLEPOOL† A nuclear debate on the fuel cycle to the key economic and environmental advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power was held on the 3rd of March 2016 in Coventry University 212GED oil gas students. My acting role as EdF Witness local employee from Sizewell Nuclear Power Station was to stand in favor of â€Å"Pro nuclear†. 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