[NukeNet] Enviro news release to send out on Lieberman-Warner

[Michael Mariotte]

Dear Friends,

 

Below is a news release issued today by groups working on the nuclear
issues raised by the Lieberman-Warner climate change bill, S. 2191.

 

We encourage you to add your group to this release, perhaps add a quote
or two about your position and your senators, and send it to your local
media.

 

Questions? As always, contact us: NIRS, 301-270-6477, nirsnet at nirs.org,
or contact any of the groups on the release.

 

More materials will be coming over the next several days....

 

We've received quite a few e-mails from people who said they have called
their Senators. Please drop us an e-mail if you have called your
senators, or put out our Alert more widely, and especially let us know
of any response from Senate offices!

 

Thanks for all you do!

 

Michael Mariotte

NIRS

 

 

Beyond Nuclear <http://www.beyondnuclear.org/>  * Environmental Working
Group <http://www.ewg.org/>  * Friends of the Earth
<http://www.foe.org/>  * Greenpeace <http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/>  *
Nuclear Information and Resource Service <http://www.nirs.org/>  *
Public Citizen <http://www.citizen.org/>  

 

For Immediate Release:                                     Contact:
Linda Gunter, Beyond Nuclear <http://www.beyondnuclear.org/> 

Thursday, May 15, 2008                         Tel: 301.270.2209 Email:
linda at beyondnuclear.org                                           

 

Environmental and Public Interest Groups Condemn Plans to Hand
Record-Breaking Subsidies to Nuclear Energy

Groups' leaders urge senators not to allow billions of dollars for
nuclear power in Lieberman-Warner climate change bill

 
WASHINGTON, DC - The leaders of six national environmental and public
interest groups warned today that the impending Lieberman-Warner climate
change bill could contain at least $544 billion in taxpayer subsidies
for nuclear energy. This would represent the biggest federal handout in
history for the nuclear industry, already the most heavily subsidized
energy sector over the past 50 years.

 

The Lieberman-Warner bill is expected to be on the Senate floor in early
June. According to an analysis conducted by Friends of the Earth
<http://www.foe.org/pdf/Lieberman_Warner_2-1_Update.pdf> , the bill
contains close to half a trillion dollars that can be accessed by the
nuclear energy industry under a vaguely entitled category for "zero and
low carbon energy technologies." Nuclear is the only energy industry
that could fall under this category that does not have a specific carve
elsewhere; funding for renewable energy is identified separately in the
bill. 

 

"Although the word 'nuclear' has been carefully omitted from the bill,
it is clear that this is a covert attempt to bolster a failing nuclear
power industry in the name of addressing climate change," said Brent
Blackwelder, president of Friends of the Earth <http://www.foe.org/> .
"It's time to focus on real global warming solutions like solar, wind
and energy efficiency, not to further fatten the moribund nuclear calf."

 

The environmental and public interest group leaders decried the bill's
record-breaking giveaway to nuclear power which would encourage new
construction of nuclear plants, the least-effective way of reducing
carbon emissions because of their long construction times and high
costs. 

 

"After 50 years of unresolved safety and waste disposal issues, it
perplexes many Americans why Congress would support massive subsidies
for the nuclear industry," said John Passacantando, Executive Director
of Greenpeace USA <http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/> . "Nuclear power is a
dirty and dangerous distraction from real global warming solutions,"
said Passacantando. "When both Wall Street and Warren Buffet think
nuclear is a risky investment, Congress should not waste American tax
dollars to further subsidize this 1950s technology."

 

Furthermore, the leaders stated that even while enriching the nuclear
industry, the bill does not adequately reduce greenhouse gas emissions
enough to avoid even the most catastrophic impacts of global warming, as
identified by the scientific community.

 

 

"It's significant that the authors of the bill tried to conceal the
nuclear funding under ambiguous language," said Joan Claybrook,
president of Public Citizen <http://www.citizen.org/> . "Why are they
hiding it? Because they know that the environmental movement in this
country is serious about addressing climate change and will not tolerate
a reversion to dangerous, dirty and expensive nuclear energy."

 

"Taxpayers should not be asked to continue bankrolling a nuclear power
industry that has never been financially or environmentally viable,
especially in times of tight budgets," said Sandra Schubert,
Environmental Working Group Director of Government Affairs. "Instead,
the federal government should do everything in its power to rapidly
pursue clean energy solutions like solar and wind."

-end-

 

Contact Information:

Beyond Nuclear: Kevin Kamps. Tel: 301.270.2209. Email:
kevin at beyondnuclear.org

Environmental Working Group: Sandra Schubert. Tel: 202.667.6982. Email:
sschubert at ewg.org

Friends of the Earth: Erich Pica. Tel: 202.783.7400. Email:
epica at foe.org

Greenpeace: Jane Kochersperger, 202.319.2493 direct; 202.680.3798 cell.
Email: jane.kochersperger at wdc.greenpeace.org

Nuclear Information and Resource Service: Michael Mariotte. Tel:
301.270.6477. Email: nirsnet at nirs.org

Public Citizen: Tyson Slocum. Tel: 202.454.5191. Email:
tslocum at citizen.org

 





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