Wednesday, 29 March, 2006

by Senator Milne
The Greens

Australian Environment Minister Ian Campbell is to be condemned for peddling the big nuclear lie that nuclear power is a solution to climate change and advocating more uranium mining, Australian Greens energy spokesperson Senator Christine Milne said today.

"Minister Campbell should be urging caution, not beating the drum for uranium mining companies by calling on state governments to permit larger and more uranium mines," Senator Milne said in Canberra today.

"Just how many uranium mines does the Environment Minister think should be operating in Australia? When will he admit that uranium mining is a major water guzzler and source of greenhouse gases?

"Quite apart from the global risks from nuclear weapons and nuclear terrorism, closer to home, there have been dozens of leaks at existing uranium mines and expanding mining for export means more risk for the community and the environment.

"Minister Campbell is also misleading the public by continuing to claim that nuclear power, fuelled by Australian uranium, will help the world address climate change.

"In addition to being too slow to come on line and too expensive, nuclear power advocates have no answers about weapons, pollution and waste.

"United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair is a cheerleader for nuclear power but the UK Sustainable Development Commission this month rejected a new nuclear programme as being no answer to climate change and energy security because of:

* The lack of a long-term strategy for dealing with highly toxic nuclear waste;
* Uncertainty over the cost of new nuclear stations and the risk that the public would be left to pick up the tab;
* The danger of locking the UK into a centralised system for distributing energy for the next 50 years;
* The risk of undermining efforts to improve energy efficiency; and
* The threat of terrorist attacks and radiation exposure if other countries with lower safety standards also opt for nuclear.