Antinuclear

Ziggy continues to spruik “safe, Clean” nuclear power

“It is far too expensive, much dearer than wind power. It is unnecessary because Australia has enormous renewable energy resources and in the long term it [nuclear energy] becomes a medium-level carbon dioxide emitter,“.Dr. Mark Diesendorf

Australia debates plan to build 10 nuclear reactors The National Phil Mercer, SYDNEY December 30, 2009 Conservationists have reacted with dismay and bewilderment to a call by Australia’s atomic industry to build 10 nuclear power stations by 2030. …..

Ansto’s chairman, Ziggy Switkowski, wrote recently in the Australian newspaper: “Previous studies have asserted that in the carbon-costed world of the 2020s, nuclear energy will be Australia’s safest, cleanest and lowest cost form of baseload electricity generation. ……

Critics, however, insist that current methods are no safer than those used at Three Mile Island, which suffered a partial meltdown 30 years ago in America’s worst civilian nuclear accident.

Dr Mark Diesendorf, deputy director of the Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of New South Wales, said: “In a nutshell it is still too dangerous to be relied upon both in terms of proliferation of nuclear weapons and rare, but catastrophic accidents. It is far too expensive, much dearer than wind power. It is unnecessary because Australia has enormous renewable energy resources and in the long term it [nuclear energy] becomes a medium-level carbon dioxide emitter, although it is not a significant emitter right now.”…………….

Official stance is in keeping with the views of most Australians, who overwhelmingly favour the development of renewable energy over nuclear, according to an opinion poll published earlier this month.

The Newspoll survey, commissioned by the Clean Energy Council, an association of clean-energy companies in Australia, showed that 80 per cent of respondents wanted the government to look to wind and solar power before pursuing the nuclear option,……………

critics also remain worried about the safe storage of radioactive waste

December 30, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, climate change - global warming, energy, spinbuster | antinuclear, Australia, climate change, climate change - global warming, energy, nuclear