nuclear-news

Nuclear option not in NZ’s interests: academic
Otago Daily Times By John Gibb  26 Nov 2008 Opting for nuclear power would massively damage New Zealand’s export and tourism prospects, University of Otago historian Prof Tom Brooking warned yesterday……………….nuclear power would fatally damage the country’s “clean green” image abroad, on which much of the New Zealand’s export trade and tourism depended.

He also warned about the danger of adopting merely an “engineering solution” to key national problems, and emphasised the need to include perspectives drawn from the humanities, including a sense of history……………… Prof Rob Lawson, of commerce, said that the use of nuclear power internationally, without sufficient regard to the environmental costs of nuclear fuel disposal and the decommissioning of nuclear power plants, amounted to mortgaging the future of the planet.

Renewable energy vs. nuclear power
The Manila Times By Dan Mariano26 Nov 08 After a two-decade wait, a bill that aims to boost the development of renewable sources of energy is about to become law. All that the proposed Renewable Energy Act needs is the signature of President Arroyo.
In contrast to traditional energy sources like filthy fossil fuels, Renewable Energy sources are more environment friendly, can be tapped in many parts of the Philippines and help save the country billions of dollars, now spent to import petroleum and coal…………………….

Environmental groups led by Greenpeace have registered their opposition to the proposal to commission the anomaly-ridden Philippine Nuclear Power Plant (PNPP), which was built at great expense by the Marcos regime. Environmentalists described the proposal as extremely dangerous and unwise.

As if the Three-Mile Island and Chernobyl accidents were not warning enough, a Greenpeace position paper contended that nuclear power has repeatedly failed to deliver on its proponents’ promises and has proven to be a highly expensive and risky investment……………………..“You can’t solve a problem by creating another problem,” said Amalie Obusan, Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner in Southeast Asia. “To propose nuclear expansion in the name of climate change is stacking one potential catastrophe over another.”………………..Renewable Energy resources can provide as much as 57 percent of the country’s energy needs by 2030, and 70 percent by 2050, with “new” renewables, such as wind, biomass, geothermal and solar energy, contributing as much as 58 percent to the energy mix, Greenpeace pointed out.

Dirty energy will fry the globe: expert
The Age Nov 26 2008 f humankind continues with its dirty energy habits then we will fry the globe, an international energy guru has told a Gold Coast conference.

Nobuo Tanaka, the chief of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said major breakthroughs were needed in energy efficiency and renewable energy to stop dangerous global warming.

“Current global trends in energy supply and consumption are patently unsustainable,” Mr Tanaka told the Clean Energy Council’s conference on Tuesday…………………

Mr Tanaka also cited research showing energy efficiency measures could do the most to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Development of renewable energy sources came second.

“The energy sector will have to play the central role in curbing emissions through major improvements in efficiency and rapid switching to renewables