Reaction Time: Climate Change and the Nuclear Option is a book by Professor Ian Lowe which was officially launched by science broadcaster Robyn Williams at the Writers' Festival in Brisbane in September 2007. The book is about energy policy, and Lowe argues that nuclear power does not make sense on any level: economically, environmentally, politically or socially.^[1]

Ian Lowe, AO, explains that energy is essential for civilised living, and says our energy-intensive lifestyle based on fossil fuels is unsustainable, and that he believes fundamental improvements must be made. In his book he says: "the nuclear option does not make sense on any level: economically, environmentally, politically or socially. It is too costly, too dangerous, too slow and has too small an impact on global warming."^[1]

"Promoting nuclear power as the solution to climate change is like advocating smoking as a cure for obesity. That is, taking up the nuclear option will make it much more difficult to move to the sort of sustainable, ecologically healthy future that should be our goal."^[2]

Professor Lowe is the Emeritus professor of Science, Technology and Society at Griffith University and the former President of the Australian Conservation Foundation.^[3]

• Anti-nuclear movement in Australia
• List of books about nuclear issues
• Renewable energy commercialization
• List of Australian environmental books
• Quarterly Essay