wot day is ziggys task force report due, page-4

For those of you who haven't seen the movie "An Inconvenient Truth", go and see it. It shows very clearly what a problem global warming is going to be. There is no doubt in my mind that a carbon trading system will come into existance around the globe and the value of that to ARU holders will be very significant. The carbon tax will make hybrid cars relatively even more efficient than straight petrol or diesel cars and it will also make nuclear power stations more viable around the world.

Below is another article from the Sydney Morning Herald about Beattie's stance on Uranium.

A Queensland government commissioned report into nuclear power will be made public, Premier Peter Beattie says.

Mr Beattie has used the report to argue that nuclear power was not a viable option while climate change continued to dramatically alter Australia's weather patterns.

He said the independent study showed a nuclear power station would use 25 per cent more water than a coal-fired plant, making nuclear power unworkable in the current drought.

State Liberal leader Bruce Flegg has accused Mr Beattie of "selectively quoting" from the report, saying it could have been written by the premier's "mates".

He called for the report's release so it could be properly assessed.

But Mr Beattie said Dr Flegg was "playing silly games" and that he had always intended to table the report in parliament on Tuesday.

He said it would now be available on the Queensland government website from Monday afternoon, adding he hoped it would fuel debate on the topic.

Mr Beattie says Australia should look to less energy dependent resources such as clean coal technology, geothermal energy and coal seam gas.

His comments come after Prime Minister John Howard in June set up a review, to be headed by former Telstra boss Ziggy Switkowski, as part of a push for nuclear power to be considered in the nation's future energy mix.

Mr Beattie says that at a time when farming communities are hurting, and many towns are struggling for drinking water, it is "folly" for Mr Howard to entertain the thought of nuclear power stations.

The premier says a coal-fired power station produces up to 1,400 megawatts of electricity a year and uses around 19,500 megalitres of water to condense and recycle steam.

A nuclear power station producing the same output would need about 25,000 megalitres, he says.

The federal government has accused Mr Beattie of using scare tactics and of misrepresenting the truth to stall debate on nuclear energy.

Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane, in Queensland has to announce $125 million in funding for two projects designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, said new-generation nuclear technology used much less water than Mr Beattie claimed.

"And, I'm quite happy to debate Peter Beattie about the issue of nuclear power," he said.