Nov 23

　　For much of its 26-year life the Ranger uranium mine in north Australia has seen protests from ecologists who oppose digging for nuclear fuel on the edge of a world heritage park. But by 2008, as the mine's riches run out, Australia may be marching towards a new nuclear era, prompted in part by fear of climate change, the biggest ecological issue of all.

　　The prime minister John Howard says Australia could quadruple its 2005 revenue from exporting uranium oxide (mainly to America, France and Japan) if it enriched and fabricated the fuel first. He also says Australia should consider installing its first nuclear reactor by 2020, building up to 25 reactors by 2050; such a grid could supply one-third of the country's electricity and cut greenhouse gases by almost one-fifth.

　　新黎明幽灵般地闪现

　　澳大利亚北部朗杰铀矿26年来大部分时间所经历的是生态主义者的抗议。他们反对在世界遗产公园的边缘地带挖掘核燃料。但到2008年，随着这个铀矿财富的枯竭，澳大利亚可能迈向一个新的核时代，部分原因是由对气候变化的担忧而引发的，气候变化是最大的生态问题。

　　约翰·霍华德总理说，澳大利亚如果能提纯并制造燃料级的氧化铀再出口的话（主要出口美国，法国和日本），它从中得到的财政收入将可能是2005年的4倍。他还说，澳大利亚应该考虑在2020年建造第一个核反应堆，到2050年建成25个反应堆。这样一个电网能够供应全国电力的三分之一，减少几乎五分之一的温室气体排放量。