John Howard conspicuously talked up the environmental benefits of nuclear power through much of this parliamentary term. But not so much lately. Why is that? Surely with all this discussion of global warming, the time is ripe?

  • “Clearly the environmental advantages of nuclear power are there for all to see – it’s cleaner and greener and therefore some of the people in the past who’ve opposed it should support it.” – 19 May 2006, The Age
  • “I have a very open mind on the development of nuclear energy in my own country.” – 20 May 2006, ABC
  • “Let’s at least have a discussion and let’s not have such a stupidly emotional debate about it.” – 18 June 200, Sunday
  • “It’s clean and it doesn’t emit greenhouse gases and I can’t understand why the extreme Greenies oppose it.” – 16 October 2006, ABC
  • “Solar power will never be able to provide base-load power … in the way that, say, coal and, I believe in the long run, nuclear power can.” 21 November 2006, ABC PM 
  • “There’s no one single solution to the problem of climate change. You need every weapon in the armory, and one of them, of course, is obviously nuclear power.” – 31 January 2007, Fox News
  • “Let’s be realistic – you can only run on fossil fuel or in time, nuclear power.” – 20 April 2007, The Age
  • “I’ve always said that [nuclear power is an ‘option’].” – 23 October 2007, The Age