Cons Council slams MacTiernan over uranium push

The Conservation Council of WA has accused Labor frontbencher Alannah MacTiernan of 'opportunistic careerism' in attempting to break her party's ban on uranium mining.

Anti-uranium campaigner for the Conservation Council Natalie Lowrey said Ms MacTiernan was attempting to "sell out future generations" for the sake of her own political career.

Ms MacTiernan is contesting the federal seat of Canning for the ALP at the next state election. The State ALP opposes uranium mining while the federal party supports it.

Ms MacTiernan told The West Australian newspaper on Christmas Eve that arguments about uranium mining were no longer as clear as they used to be and there was room for a rethink on the issue because of climate change.

Ms Lowrey said nuclear power had little to do with stopping climate change and Ms MacTiernan was being "irresponsible" in trying to link the issues.

"Nuclear power could at most make a modest contribution to climate change abatement. It is used almost exclusively for electricity generation, which accounts for about 25% of global greenhouse emissions," Ms Lowrey said.

"Doubling world nuclear power would only reduce emissions by a mere 5% yet it would produce one million tonnes of high level nuclear waste and enough plutonium for over one million nuclear bombs.

"Climate change and nuclear war are two of the biggest threats facing humanity in the 21st century.

"Uranium mining and nuking the climate is not the answer. Only a combination of renewable energy and energy efficiency will provide WA with a both cheap and clean energy future that would slash emissions and prevent runaway climate change."