Nuclear lies

Nuclear – it's the way forward

That's the fact. Or the fact according to those with something to gain from nuclear power getting massive funding.

For some reason the environmentalists and the Green Party don't make things clear:

• The statisticians and the economists in the employ of the pro-whatever lobbyists, if they don't like how certain costs colour the picture of what they're promoting, simply classify those costs as externalities.

• For example, the clean up and disposal costs of nuclear power are externalities, making it appear more cost-effective than it actually is.

• The fact that there's a chance of an accident or a melt-down with costs on a massive scale (it's happened before at a number of those Titanic-like failure-proof installations) is absolutely an externality. Even a 1% probability should bring some costs to the balance sheet.

• Predictably, disposal of the waste is another externality.

Now the Environment Agency has published an internal 'ooooops' document, identifying that the disposal site in Cumbria (a site dead near Selafield, how convenient (and low-cost) for transport and disposal) is maybe bit of a mistake, as it's prone to flooding.

With the risk of one million cubic metres of waste escaping.

The disposal method? It's very high tech, scientific and all that:

1. Lob it in a deep hole in the ground.

2. Pour on bulk concrete until there's no more hole.

3. Keep your fingers crossed.

4. Keep the documents about mistakes internal.

No, not what anyone really wants to hear, is it. But still, nuclear's the way forward. That's what us ordinary people are getting told by the great and the good with their degrees in history and law and politics (and anything other than environmental engineering or climate science) are telling us – who are we (the ordinary) to question the likes of the great Austin Mitchell?

Top news stories

Politics, the politicians say, is the new rock 'n' roll. Is it hell. In order of the number of hits, here's the top news stories from the online Guardian:

1. Everton v Utd (live).
2. Hull v Arsenal (as it happened).
3. Raheem Sterling's goals for Liverpool at Norwich.
4. Telescope big enough to identify alien life.
5. Drug scandal... (yes?) (no) ...at a major football club.
6. Chinese Grand Prix.
7. Ukraine crisis (yep, seventh on the list).
8. Danny Wellbeck considers his future at Utd.
9. The pagan roots of Easter (so, how come nowhere's bloody well open today?)
10. Marie le Pan / Farage row.

New rock 'n' roll? Two out of ten, at seven and ten at that.