Wednesday, April 20, 2011

AUSTRALIA_Anti-nuclear activists protest in Sydney

Anti-nuclear activists protest in Sydney April 20, 2011 - 3:18PM

Anti-nuclear activists have protested outside an international nuclear forum at Sydney's Lowy Institute.

About 20 people, including Greens NSW MP John Kaye, gathered outside the building in Sydney's CBD this afternoon.

Mr Kaye said Australian uranium should not be fuelling "more Fukushimas".

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors in northern Japan were damaged by the earthquake and tsunami that hit the country on March 11.

It has been dubbed the world's biggest nuclear crisis since Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986.

"We're hoping that the people in there understand that they can't have it all their own way," Mr Kaye said.

"For 50 years we've had expansion of nuclear; it's time to recognise that they have imposed huge costs both at Fukushima, Chernobyl and on to the Aboriginal people both in terms of waste dumps and mines.

"Next week is the 20th anniversary of Chernobyl and the world will still be living through the nightmare of Fukushima.

"We hope that the Australian people will say very loudly they don't want to be part of the nuclear cycle."

The forum, titled "Asia's nuclear future after Fukushima: The role of nuclear industry", was led by the head of the Australian Uranium Association, Michael Angwin.

Those speaking at the forum included director of France's multinational nuclear energy company Selena Ng and the chief executive of Australian uranium production company Paladin Energy, John Borshoff.

AAP
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/antinuclear-activists-protest-in-sydney-20110420-1dof3.html#ixzz1K3N0Zsn1



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