No nukes white elephant pays visit to BHP Billiton

Friends of the Earth,
The Wilderness Society,
Australian Student Environment Network

MONDAY 29th OCTOBER

‘Ziggy’ - No nukes white elephant pays a visit to BHP Billiton

Photo opportunity: A 9.5m long and 5.5 m high inflatable white elephant - ‘Ziggy’ will be at BHP Billiton, 180 Lonsdale Street,
Melbourne (QV Building), between 8:30 and 9:00am Monday 29th October.

Victorians contesting proposed expansion of the nuclear industry here in Australia will this morning take their opposition to the headquarters of mining giant BHP Billiton - owners of Australia's largest uranium mine.

‘Ziggy’, the huge, inflatable “No Nukes” white elephant will accompany them.

“It is an absolute travesty that, on one of the driest continents on Earth, BHP Billiton extracts 35 million litres of water per day from the Great Artesian Basin for their Roxby Downs uranium mine” said The Wilderness Society Nuclear Spokesperson Amelia Young.

“Water is more precious than yellowcake, and uranium mining operations represent just one quota of the massive quantities of water used throughout the nuclear fuel cycle.”

“Everyone has a role to play in ensuring water resources are managed well so as not to threaten the ability of future generations to meet their water needs” said Michaela Stubbs, Friends of the Earth Anti-Nuclear Campaigner. "BHP Billiton should also be forced to pay for the water it uses. It is unacceptable that the company pays nothing for its massive water take despite its record $17 billion profit in 2006-07."

Nuclear power is the most water-intensive of all electricity sources, consuming more water than coal fired power stations.

“Nuclear power is fuelling climate change” said Michaela Stubbs. “The use and abuse of precious water throughout all stages of the nuclear fuel cycle means that nuclear power truly is a ‘white elephant’ – a false promise with an additional cost of depleting our already dwindling water resources.”

Renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal have negligible water consumption rates compared to nuclear power.

“Renewable energy technologies will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but will also help ease the water crisis”, concluded Michaela Stubbs.

Friends of the Earth report ‘Nuclear power, uranium mining and water scarcity’ can be found at:
http://www.foe.org.au/anti-nuclear/issues/water-nuclear/Water-nukes-low-res.pdf/view

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