Public Fears of Nuclear Power in the Uranium Mining Industry, in March's Issue of Energy Digital

Energy Digital takes a second look at the uranium market and the significance of nuclear energy. Despite what various may think about nuclear power in light of Fukushima's nuclear reactor meltdown incident earlier this year it residue an integral part of the world's power supply. Compared to burning additional fossil fuels, it's also the better option.

"It's the only form of power generation in the world that is low cost, large-scale, dependable and emissions-free," says Uranium Energy Corporation's CEO Admir Adnani in an interview with Energy Digital. "There's just no credible option to that."

Comparing the injure caused from nuclear reactor failures, fossil fuels continue to dump ridiculous amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere on a daily basis. The nuclear industry has taken unbelievable effort to adjust those safety issues, but the difficulty now is supplying uranium to keep it running.

Pledge to trade uranium to Russia, not India, 'hypocrisy'

Julia Gillard and her Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, swap notes in Seoul on Thursday night ahead of the G20 meeting, permit for Australian uranium to be enriched in Russia and use in its nuclear reactors. The agreement will help Russia to meet its increasing energy needs as it seeks to decrease its greenhouse emissions by diversify its energy sources and changing away from a reliance on fossil fuels," the Prime Minister said. Opposition capital spokesman Ian Macfarlane welcomed the announcement but added that if the government required helping other nations cut greenhouse gas emissions, "one of the most effective things it could do would be to consent to export uranium to India for use in electricity generation".

Coalition foreign relationships spokeswoman Julie Bishop said it was "highly insensitive" of Ms Gillard to make the statement on the sides of the G20 assembly when the Indian Prime Minister was also in Seoul. "The result to announce Australia will supply uranium to Russia while keep a ban on sales to India expose the hypocrisy of Labor's stance on uranium exports," she said. "Julia Gillard has efficiently said at the G20 meeting that the government trusts Russia to use our uranium for peaceful reason but that it doesn't trust India." The Greens spokesman on nuclear matters, Scott Ludlum, explain the announcement as "a disappointment", saying the government had gone beside 2008 advice from a House of Representatives group by selling to Russia.

"Trade Minister Simon Crean said at the occasion that the government and the International Atomic Energy Agency were fulfilled safeguards are in place to ensure the uranium is not used in weapons, but the IAEA has not inspected Russia for approximately a decade," Senator Ludlum told The Weekend Australian. Australian National University lecturer in international relations Michael McKinley said while the choice would offend India, that country was not a party to the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, unlike Russia. "If Russia is to be regard as part of the responsible global community, why not sell them uranium?" Dr McKinley asked.

Russian uranium contract job creator: Gillard

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says a deal to sell uranium to Russia under harsh safeguards will create jobs, as world leaders grapple with a stressed global economy. Ms Gillard and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday met on the sidelines of the G20 leaders summit for a service to seal an contract on nuclear energy. Australian miners have been able to trade uranium to Russia since 1990 but only to be process in that country on behalf of third countries and not for nuclear power in Russia itself. The deal is in line with present agreements with the US, China, Japan and South Korea.

"The agreement will help Russia to meet its increasing energy needs as it seeks to reduce its greenhouse emissions by diversify its energy basis and shifting away from a reliance on fossil fuels," the prime minister said. "It will enlarge export opportunities and create jobs for Australia's uranium suppliers and consolidates Australia's position as a reliable supplier of energy resources." Ms Gillard said the contract met all of Australia's and the International Atomic Energy Agency's nuclear safeguard. Mining industry figures are speculated India may be next cab off the rank but only if it decides to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, which is a necessity to import Australian uranium.

US President Barack Obama, who is also presence G20, this week backed India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which need strong export safeguards. The issue is likely to be a topic for discussion when Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Australia late next year. About 10,500 tonnes of uranium is export from Australia's three mines each year, worth around $1.1 billion. Ms Gillard spent the day in the lead-up to Thursday night's official leaders welcome presence a Remembrance Day service at Seoul's national war memorial, meeting with Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper and address business leaders.