Originally published December 29 2005
Australian officials considering nuclear energy alternatives
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A leading exporter of uranium, Australia has always had the conditions necessary for nuclear power stations, but the country has rejected such proposals until recently, when government officials began pondering why a country that exports 30 percent of the world's uranium discounts the advantages of nuclear power.
A push to replace ageing coal-fired power plants with nuclear facilities to secure long-term electricity supply and meet ambitious carbon emissions targets has gathered momentum with two ministers putting forward a formal proposal for a study into the sector.
Australia relies on vast reserves of cheap coal to generate 80 percent of its energy, but also has high levels of greenhouse gas emissions and risked international condemnation by refusing to sign the Kyoto agreement on global warming.
Fossil fuel generation is still forecast at 70 percent by 2020.
But having already overturned the 1980s "three mines" policy which limited the number of uranium pits -- Australia is home to over one third of global reserves -- there are signs a former pariah is moving up the list of potential energy alternatives.
Two Federal government ministers this week asked the Prime Minister to consider home-grown nuclear power in light of environmental concerns and a booming uranium industry that saw the value of exports rise 30 percent in fiscal 2005.
"We can't responsibly dig 30 percent of the world's uranium out of the ground, export it overseas, and allow some 440 reactors to operate and expand in other parts of the world and not seriously consider this as an option for ourselves," Education Minister Brendan Nelson told the Nine Network.
"If we're considering what generating plant is suitable to be operating in 30-40 years in a greenhouse-constrained world, there's a strong argument for diversifying and including nuclear in the mix for every country with concentrated electricity demand," said Ian Hore-Lacy of the Uranium Information Centre.
China and India are quadrupling nuclear capacity by 2020, and established players such as Japan and South Korea could follow Britain's lead in reviewing their ageing infrastructure.
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