[NukeNet] [No New Coal Plants] Environmental Defense Supporting Nukes in TXU Buyout

[Mike Ewall]

In response to Lou and others who think I'm being too harsh on NRDC, 
because they were quoted opposing nukes in the Living on Earth 
program and because they also do some good anti-nuke work, here's 
some history...

* NRDC cut a deal with the Carter administration not to oppose his 
light water reactor program in exchange for political appointments.
* NRDC was a lead supporter of NAFTA, bragging that they "broke the 
back of the environmental opposition to NAFTA" for Clinton.  NAFTA 
paved the way for GATT and other trade agreements which benefit the 
nuclear industry, among it's many other problems.
* NRDC has supported the multi-billion dollar bailouts of the nuclear 
utility industry's stranded costs.
* NRDC has advocating sending nuclear waste to Russia.
* NRDC has held onto close ties to Enron, even after the scandal, 
testifying in favor of their acquisition of Portland General 
Electric, Oregon's largest public utility
* NRDC supported federal research funding for new nuclear reactors.
* NRDC is currently involved with a deal with the TXU merger, to 
greenwash the building of (supposedly fewer) new coal power plants as 
a major environmental victory
* NRDC signed on in support of the COMPETE Coalition, a new industry 
coalition promoting electric utility deregulation, which is the 
driver for running nukes harder and making their operation riskier.
* NRDC also recently played a leading role in the pro-nuke, pro-coal 
corporate coalition on global warming (US-CAP)
* NRDC was sitting at the table with TXU folks when nuclear options 
were "on the table" according to the recent interview, which stated 
the following: "But TXU's plan for more nukes was the elephant in the 
room.... Nuclear power has always been on the table."

So yes... NRDC does some good work against coal and nukes.  They also 
do some very shady, compromised stuff on these issues.

Mike Ewall
Energy Justice Network
215-743-4884
catalyst at actionpa.org
http://www.energyjustice.net



At 12:35 PM 4/20/2007, Louis Zeller wrote:
>Environmental Defense spokeman Marson certainly has stepped in it 
>saying nuclear power should be considered as a solution to climate 
>change.  He, of course, is wrong.  However, the statement of Geoff 
>Fettus of NRDC is explicitly opposed to nuclear.  Here's what Living 
>on Earth reported:
>
>LOE: But Geoff Fettus of the NRDC isn't buying it. And, he says just 
>because his group endorsed the TXU
>buyout, doesn't mean it's giving the company a pass on nuclear power.
>
>FETTUS: There are cheaper, cleaner and faster ways to go about
>reducing global warming pollution rather than provide significant
>subsidies to a mature industry like nuclear power.
>
>I don't think it's fair to tar NRDC with the pro-nuke brush. NRDC is 
>squarely behind efforts to stop nuclear pollution in many places; 
>e.g. Savannah River, SC.
>
>Lou Zeller