labor divided on nuclear debate, page-2

environmentalists warn against china uranium expor Environmentalists warn against China uranium exports
The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) says increasing the nation's uranium exports is not the answer to slowing climate change.

Federal Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane says negotiations are progressing well to provide yellowcake to China's nuclear power industry, reducing that country's reliance on coal.

ACF nuclear campaigner Dave Sweeney says the Federal Government has listened to industry lobbyists who have described nuclear power as the silver bullet for greenhouse gases.

He says China's most ambitious plans for nuclear power suggest it will supply only 6 per cent of the country's energy needs for the next two decades.

"When you do the hard figures it just doesn't stack up," he said.

"The biggest countries that are the real threat to climate change are the newly-emergent nations, and particularly China, and China is saying even with its most ambitious pro-nuclear expansion it will only be able to meet 6 per cent of its power requirements from atomic power.

"So the big question is, where does the other 94 come from?"

The ACF says the Federal Government's plans to increase Australia's uranium exports to China are not economically or environmentally sustainable.

Mr Sweeney says lots of money has been expended lobbying for more uranium mining but the financial rewards and possible greenhouse gas reductions do not match the risks.

"We've seen an industry that's plateaued in the developed nations, that it's one hope of growth is in the developing world, but it's not the silver bullet to greenhouse," he said.

"There are unresolved security issues, unresolved waste issues - it's high cost and high risk and it just doesn't deliver enough."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200506/s1386029.htm