The hidden cost of Britain’s new generation of nuclear power could be the destruction of the Kalahari desert in Namibia and millions of tonnes of extra greenhouse gas emissions a year, the Observer has discovered.=

The desert, with its towering sand dunes and spectacular lunar-like landscapes, is at the centre of an international uranium rush led by Rössing Uranium, a subsidiary of the British mining giant Rio Tinto, and the French state-owned company, Areva, which part-manages the nuclear complex at Sellafield and wants to build others in Britain.

Tomorrow, Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, will release a batch of plans covering every aspect of Britain’s strategy to replace its ageing nuclear power stations.

via Britain’s nuclear strategy threatens destruction of Kalahari | Environment | The Observer.