Your article expresses a certain bemusement as to how the UK and France managed to have smart nuclear power plants. The answer is for the last 50 years the respective states have paid the bills and will continue so to do.

In the UK from 1956 to 2004, nuclear power generated around 1900 TWh worth around 25 - 30 billion at a cost of 100 billion with another taxpayers 60 billion now allocated for dealing with decommissioning and spent fuel handling. When some of the stations were privatised as British Energy, it promptly went bankrupt, but for a state rescue.

In France 75% of their electricity is now dependent on imported uranium as their own mines are worked out. In France EdF is now partly privatised, so we can expect a crisis and state rescue package any time now.

The US consumes 30% of the world's uranium supply (22,000+ tonnes/annum) while mining only 800 tonnes. US nukes are kept going with Russian ex- weapons HEU which will soon be exhausted. The US spent fuel languishes in stirred ponds until an electricity failure causes the ponds to boil dry, melt down and sterilise thousands of hectares of land.

George Bush is advised that you need more! I do not think that you do!

Kind regards,

John Busby

www.after-oil.co.uk/nuclear.htm