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Prime Minister Helen Clark has re-affirmed her stance on nuclear power as she heads to the Apec summit in Sydney.
Both US President George Bush, and Australian PM John Howard argue nuclear energy is a way to reduce carbon emissions, and therefore global warming. They say if countries are serious about cleaning up the environment, nuclear energy is the way to go.
National leader John Key says he doesn't see it as an option for New Zealand and on her way to the conference, Clark said she doesn't ever see nuclear energy being acceptable to New Zealand when we're one of the most rich countries on earth for renewable energy sources. She says it has too many complications.
Clark says she is not feeling under pressure with countries like the United States and Australia talking about it.
The New Zealand government is expected to try get any reference to nuclear power in Apec's final climate change resolution watered down.
Head of Climate Change Services at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Julia Hoare, says New Zealand is in a much better position than either Australia or the United States to find alternatives to nuclear power.
She says wind energy and new wave technologies being developed, will provide us with plenty of alternatives.
Hoare says just 34% of New Zealand's power is dependent on carbon emitting fossil fuels - a very low figure internationally.
But campaigners for nuclear power say the government is being shortsighted in not looking at adopting the high tech power source.
Chairman of the New Zealand Atomic Energy Advocacy Council Phillip Ross says New Zealand is in danger of being left behind.
He says the government is pandering to short-term political
expedience with an almost ritual rejection of any suggestion of
nuclear technology.
The leaders of the world's super power nations have been in Sydney
for most of the week, amongst them Chinese president Hu Jintao, who
has expressed his county's support for combating climate
change.
His stand follows widespread perceptions that China - the
world's largest polluter - remains one of the largest barriers to
reducing greenhouse gases.
Australia and the US want Apec to agree to non-binding goals for
reducing carbon emissions.
Clark will is one of the last leaders to arrive and will have some
catching up to do when she meets with the Chinese President later
on Friday.
Meanwhile red-faced authorities in Sydney are failing to see the funny side of a stunt pulled by a comedy team from ABC television.
Charges are being brought against 11 people - part of the programme The Chaser's War on Everything - who breached the Apec security operation on Thursday.
A convoy of three black cars decked out as an official Canadian motorcade came within metres of George Bush's hotel before finally being pulled over. One of those arrested was dressed as Osama bin Laden.
New South Wales police spokesman Dave Owens says with the
president's hotel crawling with snipers, the comedians could have
been in their sights.
