[Greens-Media] Nuclear not answer to climate change

[Willis, Katrina (Sen C. Milne)]

MEDIA RELEASE

Tuesday, 9 August 2005

Nuclear not answer to climate change

The federal government was betraying Australians by promoting more
uranium exports to fuel nuclear power, Australian Greens Senator for
Tasmania Christine Milne said today.

"The Howard government finally admitted last month that climate change
is real but it refuses to commit to serious measures to address the
greatest environmental challenge the world faces," Senator Milne said in
Canberra.

"Instead, it is promoting an expansion of uranium mining and exports,
with Foreign Minister Alexander Downer announcing today that Australia
is negotiating a nuclear cooperation agreement with China.

"Minister Downer claims that diversifying from fossil fuels will result
in lower greenhouse gas and particulate emissions. He ignores the risks
to people and the environment of expanding uranium mining and nuclear
power production.

"The nuclear energy industry has failed to resolve the problem of waste
storage and no safeguards agreement can ensure that Australian uranium
does not find its way into the nuclear weapons cycle.

"Nuclear power is not the answer to climate change. We need to turn the
Australian economy into a low-carbon economy, generating new jobs and
export opportunities in renewable energy and energy efficiency
technologies.

"This is the only way to provide a sustainable solution to climate
change while ensuring economic stability. The sooner we begin the
transition the easier it will be."

Senator Milne will give notice this afternoon of a motion calling on the
government to abandon the expansion of uranium mining. The motion
appears below:

That the Senate:
	a)	Notes the federal government's intention to override the
Northern Territory government in pursuit of expanding uranium mining,
announced on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the United States of
America dropping the first atomic bomb, killing around 140,000 people in
the Japanese city of Hiroshima;
	b)	Rejects the expansion of uranium mining because of its
potential to cause grave harm to people and the environment, and the
risk of Australian uranium being diverted to the production of nuclear
weapons; and
	c)	Calls on the federal government to abandon the expansion
of uranium mining and instead support the expansion of energy efficiency
and renewable energy to address the challenge of climate change.

Contact: Katrina Willis 0437 587 562 or 02 6277 3063

Katrina Willis
Adviser
Office of Senator Christine Milne
Ph: 03 6234 4566
0437 587562
Fax: 03 6234 2144
www.greens.org.au