Australia’s political leaders “timid” on energy debate

Greenpeace International executive director Gerd Leipold told The Australian that he was surprised at the timidity of debate in Australia about energy supply, which has seen Liberal and Labor leaders support a renewed focus on nuclear power

Enthusiasm For Nuclear Power Cooling | Hybrid Auto News – September 27th, 2010 “………If nuclear energy supplied 75 per cent of the world’s electricity, it would result in only a 25 per cent reduction in harmful carbon emissions, the global head of Greenpeace has warned. In Sydney to address the Lowy Institute think tank tonight, Greenpeace International executive director Gerd Leipold told The Australian that he was surprised at the timidity of debate in Australia about energy supply, which has seen Liberal and Labor leaders support a renewed focus on nuclear power as a green-friendly alternative to coal.

Mr Leipold will tell the Lowy Institute that nuclear energy is an expensive, dangerous and finite option that has slowed the development of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. “It’s good that people are taking climate change seriously and understand that we need to take drastic measures,” Mr Leipold, 54, said. “But it’s simply not the answer that we need at this moment.”

Mr Leipold said nuclear power produced by 450 reactors currently supplied about 17 per cent of the world’s power. It would take up to 10,000 reactors worldwide to increase supply to 50 to 75 per cent by 2100, he said. But for all the accompanying problems of sourcing uranium, disposing of waste safely and finding new sites for reactors, it would result in only a 25 per cent reduction of carbon emissions…….

But while Mr Leipold remains optimistic that growing public awareness will help steer governments towards renewable energy sources, he said that finding ways to use our available energy more efficiency would alleviate the need to develop new energy sources in the short term.

Enthusiasm For Nuclear Power Cooling | Hybrid Auto News – Hybrid Cars

September 28, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | climate change - global warming, energy, General News, uranium | antinuclear, Australia, climate change, climate change - global warming, energy, renewable, uranium

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1.This month.

The Road to War brings a sharp focus to why it is not in Australia’s best interest to be dragged into a war with China which will almost inevitably go nuclear very quickly. The filmmaker has interviewed some of Australia’s senior foreign policy analysts who have vast experience behind them in analysing what really is going on here as the United States rattles its sabres with China. And sets us up to be its proxy, like the poor Ukranians have been fed into the Meatgrinder. So America can remain the Top Dog. The Road to War reveals how the United States through its spy base at Pine Gap and by stationing six nuclear capable B52 bombers in the Top End (without permission from the traditional owners) is making Australia a prime nuclear target if the current war of words suddenly melts down into full scale war.

The Road to War shows the implicit connection between Carbon emissions (the US military uses a whopping 70% of America’s annual petroleum to move its armies and vast War Machine around the globe to its 800+ military bases..but under a loophole wangled at Kyoto, the US military does not have to report its C02 annual emissions). The Road to War starts screening at selected cities and regional centres in March. See the trailer end for details.

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Australian news, and some related international items