Former Aussie anti-nuclear advocate urges green groups to change stance on nuclear power

An Australian environmental consultant believes that the country's green groups need to re- think their stance on nuclear power as a clean energy source or could lose relevance.

Ben Heard, a former anti-nuclear campaigner, has said that his concern about climate change forced him to re-evaluate his opposition to nuclear power, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Friday

He has since become one of Australia's most prominent nuclear advocates.

Heard said nuclear power was the best way to seriously battle climate change, but he didn't believe environmental groups would become nuclear advocates.

"There are many individuals who've needed to break ranks from the environmental movement because they have changed their position on nuclear power and the organisations to which they belong haven't done so," he said.

"That's quite prominent and there's a number of people in that camp.

"I don't have high hopes for change in Australia's environmental movement and that's a little bit sad.

"But it feels that perhaps the only way forward is to have their relevance diminished over time as more and more people step away from that position." Endi