[originaltext]M: The Energy Minister announced at a press conference yesterday.

M: The Energy Minister announced at a press conference yesterday. the construction of three more nuclear power stations. These will form a vital part of the government’s energy plans for the next two decades and are needed to satisfy the country’s growing demands for electricity. The plans were strongly criticised by opposition MP’s as well as anti-nuclear and environmentalist groups.
W: They must be absolutely mad, more nuclear power stations!
M: OK. Jane. But we’ve got to get the energy from somewhere, haven’t we? We can’t just go on using oil and coal.
W: Look. The main point is they’re just net safe. They’re a real menace, everyone of these things is an accident waiting to happen. Look at Chernobyl, for goodness’ sake!
M: Yes, OK, I agree there’s a risk. Of course there is. But it’s minimal. With modern technology, nuclear reactors are much safer:
W: Much safer! You must be joking. No. Look at all that radioactive waste they’re dumping into the sea and underground. Nobody re ally knows what’ll happen long-terms.
M: That is a problem. Sure. But it’s also true that nuclear energy is cheap and can produce electricity very quickly. Lots of countries have no alternatives. They don’t have any oil, coal or anything. What are they supposed to do?
W: Oh, come on! There’re lots of possibilities. Well, quite a few. We just haven’t really looked at them seriously enough. There’s solar energy, and wind power and, what’s called wave power. We’ve still got a lot of coal.
W: Alright. But they’ll all take time and money to develop. We need energy now and nuclear power is the best alternative.
M: Oh, I don’t believe this. I reckon it’s just crazy.