All over the world, governments are looking at nuclear energy as the answer to climate change.

But nuclear power is the most contentious and emotive of all methods of energy production. You have the long term consequences of accidents, the threat of proliferation and the question of waste.

Then there is the issue of economics. Nuclear reactors come in only one size: enormous and they cost billions of dollars to build. They also come with a fair degree of sovereign risk. That means banks would be reluctant to provide the finance, so governments would have to underwrite them.

In Australia, a report by the government's leading advisor on nuclear power, Ziggy Switkowski, has recommended building up to 25 nuclear reactors over the next thirty years, to supply electricity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

My colleague Garry Barker and I spoke to Dr Switkowski last week. He told us that community support for nuclear power was low and the governments would need to help bankroll the first reactors. But he was confident support would kick in once the reactors were operating.

You can read and listen to the interview here.