IAEA enters green energy discussion

VIENNA, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- The global community can use peaceful nuclear technology to advance sustainable agricultural production and combat climate change, a nuclear agency said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency advocated the use of peaceful nuclear technology as away to combat a variety of challenges brought on by global climate change.

The organization pointed to global change as a leading cause of insect and disease damage to crops, advocating irradiation as a means to advance more efficient pest and disease management practices.

The IAEA added it was working on plans to capture greenhouse gases in soils while improving crop growth.

In civilian nuclear energy, the group said nuclear power plants withhold two gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere. This, the IAEA said, is about the same as wind and hydroelectric power and less than solar power.

The comments by the IAEA come as world leaders debate the best way forward in addressing climate change during an international conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.