ACTIVISTS ARE opposing John Howard's plans for a domestic nuclear energy industry-and Labor's decision to expand the uranium export industry that underpins it.

A new group, the Nuclear-Free Coalition, is being established in Sydney with the aim of educating and building opposition to the expansion of the nuclear fuel cycle, co-ordinating a media response, and organising a contingent from the climate movement to protests at the APEC meeting in Sydney in September.

Howard is using climate change as an excuse to push nuclear power. This is despite the fact that a doubling of nuclear energy production would reduce greenhouse emissions by just 5 per cent.

Furthermore, uranium mining means toxic waste, open-cut mines on Indigenous land, serious health and safety concerns for workers and the public, as well as the proliferation of nuclear weapons material.

The Liberals have talked of making climate change the theme of APEC. Decoded, this means they want to push nuclear technology and uranium exports. �

At last month's ALP National Conference, Kevin Rudd spearheaded a motion to overturn Labor's long-standing No New Uranium Mines policy. But the change was supported by a margin of just 205 votes to 190-hardly a mandate. The Western Australian A Premier continues to come out strongly against uranium mining, and there is strong grassroots pressure on the Queensland Premier to follow suit. �

The Nuclear-Free Coalition meeting has been called by a group of grassroots organisations that organised the public lobby against uranium mining at the ALP Conference.

In the current circumstances, it is vital that there is a clear response from the movement against climate change-that nuclear is no solution.

The inaugural meeting is on May 21 at 6pm in the Harry Heath Room, ground floor, UTS Towerblock, Broadway

For more information, contact Wenny Theresia (Australian Student Environment Network) 0402 564 862 or Paddy Gibson (Stop the War Coalition) 0415 800 586.