Saturday, 5 July 2008
The Real Cost of Nuclear
The CANE web site (http://www.suffolkcane.org.uk/) puts forward some arguments about the real cost of nuclear power. Are our facts correct and what are the costs of alternatives?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
13 comments:
There are many costs of nuclear, not least environmental. However if we are talking pounds, shillings and pence, it is the biggest con imagineable. No commercial concern could possibly afford the insurance premiums if there were to be a civil nuclear accident. Guess who will pay the costs of any clean up? Yes, you and me and all the other tax payers!
... and the clean up of nuclear waste is costing the billions! A fine example of government piorities.
The prospect of a new power station at Sizewell, is outrageous. This crazy notion that we have to keep fuelling the GDP, and more and more development and box shops is so deeply flawed. Most sane individuals realize we need to POWERDOWN and have an energy descent action plan, not some mad ramped up nuclear policy that will create centuries of nuclear waste pollution, to prop up a sad consumer culture. Where are the local renewables activists, to create a groundswell of protest? There should be 1000s of us out there. 'Climate camp' are needed on this one. Great Gabbard Wind farm and other renewables are adequate, without this shell game of financial figures being childishly thrown around. Why is governement so blind and irresponsible when it comes to our environment. Will greed take us to the point of no return. ? Do people really think that the absurdly polluting nuclear waste will dig us out of the end of the oil era? What is the vision of the post carbon society? Radioactive oceans ?
Get real. Lets think about what our society is going to look like.
What is the position of this Sizewell C proposal now the French deal has apparently been completed? Does this mean the UK citizens really have no sway with their objections? Please inform.
The statements by EdF that they will build four new nuclear power stations are premature. The UK planning regulations will still apply. However, the government has changed the planning rules to make applications such as this quicker and easier to approve. To do this they have introduced a totally new stage to the process, the national policy statement. This mean that almost all the critical issues surrounding complex projects are decided before the planning application is lodged. To inform the national policy, the government is consulting on the stategic siting assessment critieria, which will lay out the criteria which will be used to decide whether a site is suitable. The only criteria which would be essential to meet are earthquakes and ground movements. We are pressing that other criteria, such as environmental factors and biodiversity, are upgraded to essential, especially as they are obligations under international treaties. Time is not up on the consutlsations (still open until 11 November), so feel free to add anything you can. See the BERR web site for details.
The National Policy statment on nuclear power is supposed to address issues such as cost effectiveness and the environmental assessment. This statement is nowhere near completion. I expect a long battle before EdF have permission to start building.
" changed the planning rules" ! How can we call oureslves a democracy when government simply changes to goal posts ? This is a joke. I do not buy the argument that the lights will go out or the Russians will have us by the short and curlies, if we don't go nuclear. It shows such a lack of VISION. And it is a naive argument. Environmentalists will not just sit bakc and take 2nd fiddle on this. Should not the world be considering the environment POST HASTE, as Al Gore and many have made clear? NUCLEAR POWERSTATIONS ARE A CON. Nuclear waste is a REALITY, as is the disasterous notion of turning the Suffolk coast and villages into yet another Suburbia, instead of it being a valuable area of Organic agriculture and rural villages. Are we going to create more housing over all of the land and endless cars everywhere in the name of JOBS. ? What about people learning about Transition Culture and a sensible way of moving forward based on harmony with the environment. ? If the governement believe as is stated; " environmental factors and biodiversity, are upgraded to essential, especially as they are obligations under international treaties", then what the heck are they doing creating monsterous carbunkles on the land and centuries of nuclear waste.? France has exported this toxic nuclear waste to England/Sellarfield. So they are certainly not the right government to foolishly pass this one off on another country. WAKE UP people. WAKE UP.
I am bitter and twisted on the changes to the planning system. The government says it wants to change things but we must not assume that they are changing things for the better. These changes are specifically designed so that the government can impose its will on the people and remove democratoc accountabily to a once every four or five year process, between which governments can do what they like.
I would not mind if the government had put it's pro-nuclear stance into a manifesto and tested it at an election, but the manifesto clearly says that they have not made up their mind on nuclear so public opinion has not been tested.
Is there not a local ballotting system whereby you can amass signatures from the public ? Or do the neighbouring towns just want to lay down and play dead ? My understanding is that there are some in favor locally in Suffolk, as they think it will bring jobs and revenue. Yes, but at what price etc etc.
Surely we can't be stumped at this roadblock ? EXPOSE the planning process somehow. The stakes are too high. EXPOSE how France dumps its' nuclear waste on the ilsand of England. Are we SO stupid in England, to go the way of the French, who pride themselves on their system, but export their toxic sewage elsewhere. EXPOSE, as best to can. Turn the bitter and twisted into empowered activism- the old Ghandi way.
Whilst there are locals in favour, many are directly employed by the station and my assessment is that public opinion (at least those who express an opinion) is on our side, but are resigned to the fact that the government will go ahead anyway. As you may see from the web site, there are local meetings and lobbying going on.
We do not have a system in the UK which allows for such propositions to be voted on in a local election, mores the pity.
It was a great meeting at Leiston 10/10/08. ~Very positive. Hoping we can go forward on this. Please post news of other meetings. J. Reeder.
Thanks for the comments of Friday's meeting. The Committee on Radioactive waste Management (CoRWM) will be holding a meeting in Saxmundham Market Hall on 22 October, 6pm to 8pm. This will allow people to follow up on the issue of nuclear waste and the KiKK report on cancer near to nuclear power stations raised on Friday.
We are producing a press release following about the meeting and a report will be posted on the CANE web site.
Thanks for the comments of Friday's meeting. The Committee on Radioactive waste Management (CoRWM) will be holding a meeting in Saxmundham Market Hall on 22 October, 6pm to 8pm. This will allow people to follow up on the issue of nuclear waste and the KiKK report on cancer near to nuclear power stations raised on Friday.
We are producing a press release following about the meeting and a report will be posted on the CANE web site.
keep up the pressure. Keep shouting. Do not let the public voice of democracy be sidelined by special interests. It is easy for the nuclear lobby to throw out huge figures that tempt the greedy. Anyone can play that game, look what happened with the international finance market ! The real issue is conservation, environmental protection, and a sustainable way of living. Nuclear, begs the old question of providing more and more power for exponential growth. A flawed concept.
We all need to cut energy useage, not look to more energy for the sustaining of a system that no longer remains viable; ie consumer culture. well done on the meetings. Keep shouting. ( i suggest you make your blogging more accessible, so that you can get more traffic.)
Post a Comment