Australian Democrats Press Releases

Senator Lyn Allison  Parliamentary Leader and Democrats Senator for Victoria  Australian Democrats spokesperson for Energy and  Resources

Dated: 07 June 2006

Press Release Number: jejyjmfl  Portfolio: Energy and Resources  Related: Environment & Animal Welfare

PM's inquiry is about dollars not the future



The Government's inquiry into uranium mining, enrichment and nuclear energy is not about reducing  greenhouse gas emissions, it is about dollars, Australian Democrats Leader Senator Lyn Allison said.

"Mr Howard cannot claim to have an 'open mind' when he stacks his taskforce with pro nuclear  members, threatens that Australia will suffer economically if we don't go down the nuclear power path.  He has a closed mind on the nuclear downsides and all the other options that could deliver big  greenhouse reductions," Senator Allison said.

"Nuclear power generates significant greenhouse emissions in the uranium mining and enrichment, fuel  fabrication, plant construction and waste management stages. Uranium enrichment in the US alone  (where 20% of electricity is generated from nuclear power) releases 14 million tonnes of CO2 pa.

"The PM's suggestion that exporting non-enriched uranium is analogous to exporting wool as a raw  product is mischievous. Turning wool into knitted garments doesn't leave a massive pile of intractable  waste!

"Even in the 21st Century and after governments have poured millions of dollars into repositories, there  is still no satisfactory permanent solution to nuclear waste.

"The PM cannot ignore the International Atomic Energy Agency's documentation of 550 incidents in  trafficking of radioactive materials since 1993 either. Attempts at smuggling have doubled in the last 5  years.

"The Government's new-found interest in solving greenhouse problems just happens to coincide with a  major push by the opportunistic nuclear industry.

"The PM's narrow nuclear inquiry talks about long-term nuclear power in Australia but does nothing to  address the immediate need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"Renewable energy technologies are more efficient than nuclear, are clean, abundant, generate no toxic  waste, no terrorist potential, and are a much more realistic and economic proposition for greenhouse  reduction.

"Mr Howard will be known as the Prime Minister who facilitated the commodity boom but destroyed the  environment and economy for future generations. I hope he can live with that," Senator Allison said.

