The Editor. There continues to be much talk, and not much action, about renewable sources of energy and the need to reduce use of fossil fuel. But there has been no mention, so far, of this: Some years ago I was driving on the road between Manosque and Pertuis in the Vaucluse (France) when I couldn’t help noticing a very high wire fence stretching a considerable distance by the side of the road. Intrigued, I made some enquiries locally and found it was the Centre d’Etudies Nucleaires de Cadarache. An estate agent in that area, whom I know well, told me the Centre employed hundreds of people, many, if not most, of them being scientists researching the production of electricity by means of nuclear fission without any of the currently known unwelcome side-effects including, apparently, disposal of nuclear waste. He told me he was aware of this as he had arranged sale or rental of accommodation for some of the scientists. To quote him: “by 2020 the world will be knocking at the Centre door asking for the results of the research”. Nobody outside the area, and probably not many in it, seemed to know about the Centre although it has websites. Ps: About the same time I was shown an electricity account for a house in that area. It was for six months (not three as here) and for 41.54 Euros…about $A60. It seemed there was no standing charge…people only paid for what they used. Eric Wiseman, Moruya.
