Christian environmentalists have voiced their concern over government plans to solve the climate change issue with nuclear power.

|TOP|The Government has extended the invitation to representatives of faith communities in order to improve consultation on public policy.

“We hope to ensure that it (the Government) recognises the theological and ethical dimension to the energy debate,” said Tim Cooper, Chairman of Christian Ecology Link.

According to Mr Cooper, the Christian Ecology Link will shortly be producing a report on energy strategy from a faith perspective to be submitted to the Government.

Mr Cooper warned that the non-nuclear alternative was liable to be dismissed because the Government was afraid to respond to over-consumption of energy in affluent nations.

He said: “Climate change must be addressed urgently, but without recourse to a revival of a nuclear energy programme. Renewable energy and less wasteful energy consumption can bring about the necessary reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and ensure an energy abundant and peaceful world for us all in the long term.

|QUOTE|“The nuclear industry has been lobbying hard within the church over the past year. We have listened to their arguments but from a Christian perspective the case for nuclear energy is severely flawed.”

Prime Minister Tony Blair revealed in a speech on Tuesday, delayed by one hour after Greenpeace protestors clambered onto a roof and unfurled anti-nuclear banners, plans for an energy review that will consider the case for nuclear power stations.

Blair said at the conference attended by leading business figures in London that a report on energy policy to be compiled next summer would include a play to study “the development of a new generation of nuclear power stations”, reports Kyodo News.