greens slam nuclear debate

Greens slam nuclear debate
June 08, 2005
From: AAP


THE New South Wales and federal governments were trying to pass off discussion between like-minded advocates of nuclear energy as "a debate", the Australian Greens said today.
The Australian Institute of Energy is holding a one-day symposium today in Sydney titled "Nuclear Power for Australia: Irrelevant or Inevitable?"

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle labelled the conference a like-minded discussion between nuclear advocates, rather than a "real debate" on energy.

"The government and the premier of this state, (and) the prime minister, are trying to put forward this idea that there's a debate going on about nuclear energy," Senator Nettle told a demonstration outside the symposium.

"Unfortunately what they are today doing, what they are seeking to portray as a debate, is a discussion between a number of advocates of nuclear power."

Ten of the 11 delegates to the conference were people who had worked in, continued to work in and benefit from the nuclear industry, she said.

"Any debate on nuclear power needs to look at all the negatives – for which there are so many – whether it be climate change, whether it be waste, whether it be health consequences," she said.

"It's irresponsible of our leaders to try to be engaging in a debate which is simply about pro-nuclear advocates arguing amongst themselves, and not dealing with the genuine fears that people in the community have about all the negative consequences of the nuclear industry."

Nuclear power was a fools-gold solution, Senator Nettle said, which would only provide 10 years of energy and leave a legacy of radioactive waste.

It was also an expensive and carbon-emitting industry, she said, which diverted government funds from renewable energy programs.

Senator Nettle criticised NSW Premier Bob Carr, who last week called for a national debate on nuclear energy as an alternative energy source to fossil fuels.

"I was surprised to have Bob Carr saying we would like to have nuclear energy in this country, particularly because it's illegal to have a nuclear industry operating in NSW," Ms Nettle said.

"But also I was surprised that somebody who likes to portray himself as understanding the issues of climate change could be so sucked in to the arguments of the nuclear industry."

Symposium organiser, the Australian Institute of Energy, is a collective of individual and corporate members with an interest and involvement in the Australian energy sector.