Blix backs nuclear energy

Posted 6 hours 41 minutes ago
Former chief United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix says more energy should come from nuclear sources to help reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
Dr Blix says nuclear power has come a long way and studies show it is now safer to produce than hydro-electricity.
The former nuke hunter has also voiced support for the sale of uranium to India, provided it is only used to generate energy and does not go into the production of nuclear weapons.
He says Australia's proposed uranium sales to India would not breach the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, but other safeguards are needed.
"You would have a treaty which prohibits states from producing highly enriched uranium or plutonium for weapons purposes, and with international verification," he said.
"Such a treaty has been proposed for years, but it's not yet on the table. It requires negotiation.
"But that would, I think... [reduce] objection to the agreement with India."
Dr Blix says the sale of uranium to India would still raise concerns because the extra supply would free up India's other reserves for use in nuclear weapons.
Dr Blix says an international inspection regime and treaty would help remedy that, and ease the environmental pressures of India's growing economy.
"It is highly desirable that countries like India and China, huge counties that will consume more and more electricity, that they switch increasingly from the coal, which dominates enormously and which really hurts the environment, to nuclear power, that does not," he said.
"China does that in a big way and India wants to. And I think it would be good that they get access to the latest technology."
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