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ct. 30, Online

The National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN) says most Indonesians agree with developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

'BATAN carried out a survey and the result showed that 70 percent of people wanted to utilize the country's nuclear energy potential for national development,' BATAN chief Djarot Sulistio Wisnubroto said in Mamuju, West Sulawesi, on Thursday as quoted by Antara news agency.

The idea to develop nuclear energy has long been controversial. The country's first nuclear power plant was to be built at the foot of Mount Muria on the northeastern coast of Central Java, but it failed after strong protests from local residents and anti-nuclear groups.

Your comments:

We as a culture do not prioritize safety or maintenance. Or perhaps go to a construction site ' unless there is an inspection, many people do not wear the proper safety gear.

See how people drive. We as a culture do not respect safety and maintenance and cleanliness.

Now move that same dilemma to a nuclear power plant, which has the potential, due to a many number of problems, to crack, overheat, or spill radiation and, well, what I said earlier might be a reality.

Add the fact that we live on the Ring of Fire where natural disasters happen more often than not and we would have to take extra-special measures to anticipate those problems.

On the other hand, we have readily available alternative energy systems such as geothermal (but that was stopped due to fear from investors about the investment climate and any changes that state-owned electricity company PT PLN would enact with new heads at the helm), hydro (government red tape) and other sources.  

There are many things to be proud of as an Indonesian, and I am proud that Indonesia has the potential to be a true real player in the economic market, a robust democracy, and a strong political player in the world, but failing to see our shortcomings is being ignorant and not allowing us to push forward.

Again we are not ready for nuclear energy and the subsequent waste management. I have faith in a number of aspects of Indonesia, but blind faith is the realm exclusively for religion.

Deddy K

While I do agree that we have some serious defects in our national mentality regarding disciplinary issues, we need to give them a healthy environment (be it by harsh discipline or a hefty price of fines).

I've worked at the ASTRA subsidiary company and I've seen myself how by the simplest yet most decisive rules of meritocracy we just can simply change people's behavior and attitudes and, along with time, it starts to be deeply entrenched in folks' psyche. With President Jokowi at the helm of the authorities I put my wager on gradual changes for the better.

Regarding geothermal and other alternatives, please make some starting build cost comparisons first before you talk about the investment-climate situation.

Blue Moejoe

Indonesia can accumulate the knowledge and plans, but a 'safety first' mentality takes longer to develop.

Mangu