PM PUSHES NUCLEARFebruary 3, 2007 - 2:55Prime Minister John...

PM PUSHES NUCLEAR

February 3, 2007 - 2:55

Prime Minister John Howard has used the release of an international report on global warming to argue Australia should use nuclear power to generate electricity.

A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released in Paris found global warming would continue for centuries and was very likely man-made.

Mr Howard said today the report was the latest and strongest confirmation that greenhouse gas emissions were damaging the earth's environment.

"What it tells all governments, including the Australian government, is that we must continue measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Mr Howard told reporters at his Sydney residence Kirribilli House.

"We must do it in a way that does not unfairly hurt or damage the Australian economy and destroy Australian jobs.

"We must be open-minded and courageous enough to look at all of the options, including nuclear power.

"There is no point, in the face of such a comprehensive challenge, of ruling out consideration of something which may over time provide part of the solution to the problem."

Mr Howard said Australia could not meet its energy needs by relying on solar and wind power and should therefore look at the nuclear option as coal power became more expensive.

"You can't run power stations on solar and wind," he said.

"Let's be realistic, you can only run power stations in a modern Western economy on fossil fuel, or in time, nuclear power.

"And as time goes by and we make the fossil fuels cleaner, that will make them dearer to operate, and therefore there'll be a greater opportunity and competitive situation for nuclear power."