Source:
ReutersAustralia's PM goes green, opponents see redMon Sep 24, 2007 12:57am EDT
By Rob Taylor
CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia's prime minister,
facing a tough re-election fight and under pressure
over his climate credentials, has pledged new "clean
energy" targets in a move environment groups said
would not sway green-leaning voters.
By 2020, John Howard said, 15 percent of Australia's
energy would come from "clean" sources including solar,
wind, nuclear or clean coal, reversing his coalition
government's previous reluctance to lift its renewable
energy target from 2 percent.
The promise also dropped "renewable" from the
government's agenda, paving the way for a
controversial switch to nuclear energy, backed by
Howard as a greenhouse-friendly alternative.
-snip-But environment group Greenpeace said the target only
streamlined existing state-based schemes, leaving sunny
Australia lagging behind renewable energy leaders such
as Germany and Spain, which are harnessing solar and
wind power.
-snip-Read more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSSYD13552920070924