Posted on 05/23/2006 1:23:45 AM PDT by CheyennePress
ACTING Prime Minister Peter Costello has backed the development of a nuclear power industry in Australia whenever it became commercially viable. Mr Costello's comments follow Prime Minister John Howard signalling he wants a full-scale nuclear debate when he returns from an overseas trip later this week.
"If it becomes commercial, we should have it. That is, there's no in-principle objection to nuclear energy," Mr Costello told Southern Cross Radio today.
"Nuclear energy is an efficient form of energy. Provided you deal properly with the waste, then it's safe.
"It has much less greenhouse emissions than coal.
"There's no in-principle objection to it – it's just a question of economics.
"At some point I would think that it would become commercial, that's some time off.
"If it becomes commercial, yeah sure, people should be allowed to build it."
Mr Costello also backed an increase in Australia's uranium export industry.
Australia had 40 per cent of the world's available uranium resources, a much larger percentage of the world's resources of uranium than we had of gas and coal, he said.
"This could be a fabulous export industry for Australia," he said.
"We only export it to countries that have nuclear safeguards.
"You'd be a mug if you had the opportunity to sell Australia's products and you didn't take it up.
"It'd be like leaving the iron ore in the ground or the gas in the ground.
"This has the potential to deliver a lot of income for Australia."
It hasn't been used much here (we do have one nuclear reactor, and a replacement for it is under construction) partly because we also have a lot of coal, and with the anti-nuclear paranoia of the past, it's been easier to have (rather dirty) coal power plants.
Australia is the #2 producer or UOx (Uranium Oxide), Canada is #1.
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf23.htm
"Canada produces the largest share of uranium from mines (29% of world supply from mines), followed by Australia (21%)."
Canada 2006
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf49.htm
Australia 2005
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf64.htm
Plenty of DU ammo started out as ore from Canada & Australia.
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