[NukeNet] 500+ organizations reject nuclear power as solution to climate crisis

[Michael Mariotte]

NEWS FROM NIRS

Nuclear Information and Resource Service

6930 Carroll Avenue, #340, Takoma Park, MD 20912

301-270-6477; f: 301-270-4291; nirsnet at nirs.org; www.nirs.org
<http://www.nirs.org/> 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE            Contact: Michael Mariotte, Executive
Director

December 17, 2007
301-270-6477

 

 

500+ ORGANIZATIONS SIGN STATEMENT REJECTING NUCLEAR POWER AS A SOLUTION
TO CLIMATE CRISIS

 

More than 500 organizations from every corner of the U.S. and across the
world have signed a statement explicitly rejecting the use of nuclear
power as a means of addressing the climate crisis.

 

The signers include many of the world's largest and most influential
environmental organizations, such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth
International, Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, Rainforest Action
Network and many others, along with major peace groups like Code Pink,
Peace Action, and Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, and hundreds of
grassroots environmental, sustainable energy, religious, peace and other
groups and businesses large and small from 46 states and 38 countries on
six continents. 5900 individuals also have signed the statement, and
more sign every day.

 

The statement is being released as the U.S. Congress prepares to
consider billions of dollars of taxpayer-backed loan guarantees for new
nuclear reactor construction based in large part on the incorrect
assumption that nuclear power is a useful means of reducing our carbon
emissions.

 

"We keep hearing from nuclear industry lobbyists that environmentalists
are 're-examining' nuclear power," said Michael Mariotte, executive
director of Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS), which has
been collecting the signatures. "That re-examination is long over, and
it is clear that nuclear power is not helpful at addressing the climate
crisis. Indeed, because of its high costs, long construction times, and
its own considerable carbon footprint, its use would actually make
matters much worse by diverting the resources necessary to take
genuinely effective steps to end carbon emissions."

 

"Moreover," Mariotte added, "nuclear power has not successfully
addressed any of the problems that caused the failure of its first
generation: safety, radioactive waste disposal and the poor economics
that led to soaring electric bills, bond defaults and utility
bankruptcy. Add to that the newer problem of security, and nuclear power
can't win any rational argument over renewable energy and energy
efficiency technologies."

 

"Our energy future ultimately must and will be carbon-free and
nuclear-free. Fortunately, such a future is attainable, and in time to
avert the worst of climate change. But the sooner we get there, the
better," said Mariotte. "It's time for the Bush Administration and U.S.
Congress to let go of their 20th century thinking and start taking
meaningful steps to reduce both carbon and radioactive emissions and
build a truly sustainable energy future. As we saw in Bali, the world is
crying out for action."

 

The statement, signed (as of December 17, 2007) by 515 organizations,
states simply: "We do not support construction of new nuclear reactors
as a means of addressing the climate crisis. Available renewable energy
and energy efficiency technologies are faster, cheaper, safer and
cleaner strategies for reducing greenhouse emissions than nuclear
power."

 

The statement has been translated into French, Spanish, Russian and
Ukrainian.

 

A list of U.S. organizational signers can be seen at
http://www.nirs.org/petition2/ussigners121707.pdf. A list of
international organizational signers is available at
http://www.nirs.org/petition2/intsigners120607.pdf. Both lists are
updated periodically. 

 

The statement can be signed at: http://www.nirs.org/petition2/index.php

 

More information on why nuclear power is not a suitable choice for
addressing the climate crisis can be found at http://www.nirs.org
<http://www.nirs.org/>  (Reports, Papers and Info You Can Use) and
http://www.nirs.org/climate/climate.htm

 

--30--

 

 

 

 

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mail.energyjustice.net/pipermail/nukenet_energyjustice.net/attachments/20071217/916e1e5a/attachment.html