[Greens-Media] MEDIA RELEASE: Australia well placed to advance renewable energy and not nuclear: WWF wrong

[Willis, Katrina (Sen C. Milne)]

MEDIA RELEASE
Thursday, 4 May 2006

Australia well placed to advance renewable energy and not nuclear: WWF
wrong 

The decision by WWF to acquiesce to the Howard government's push for
expanded uranium mining and export undermines genuine efforts to address
climate change, Australian Greens climate change spokesperson Senator
Christine Milne said today.

"WWF Australia's stance on more uranium exports and expanding nuclear
power places the group in lock-step with the nuclear industry and the
Howard government whose self-serving agenda is diverting attention from
the long-term, sustainable measures we need to take to avert serious
climate change," Senator Milne said in Hobart.

"Far from feeding the dangerous, polluting energy that nuclear power is,
Australia should be using its large deposits of uranium to leverage
international influence to help the world move to truly sustainable,
clean energy sources.

"There is no long-term security in nuclear power. It is the slowest,
most expensive and most dangerous form of energy for which there is no
safe waste disposal, and it is no solution to climate change.

"Fuelling the problems of unsafe disposal, undermining international
efforts to reduce nuclear weapons proliferation, and raising the risks
of fissile material falling into the hands of terrorists are not the
behaviour of a responsible global citizen.

"Instead of salivating at the prospect of export uranium dollars, the
Howard government should move to invest massively in renewable energy
for Australia and the world as the urgency of addressing climate change
has never been greater.

"Just this week, the journal Nature reported news that the Walker
Circulation, a critical phenomenon in the El Nino event, has been
weakened. 

"What this will mean for drought and flooding in Australia and
South-East Asia is unclear but some experts are saying that an overall
weakening in the Walker system could cause an increase in the severity
or frequency of El Nino events, and even fear that the Pacific could be
plunged into a permanent El Nino."


More information: Katrina Willis 03 6234 4566 0r 0437 587 562

 
Katrina Willis
Adviser
Senator Christine Milne
Phone 03 6234 4566
Fax 03 6234 2144
Mobile 0437 587 562
www.christinemilne.org.au