Climate Change
Nuclear power is counterproductive to efforts to address climate change effectively and in time. Funding diverted to new nuclear power plants deprives real climate change solutions like solar, wind and geothermal energy of essential resources.
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The International Renewable Energy Agency - which has 136 member countries has ruled out including nuclear power as a renewable energy mainly because of the waste and security risks. Of course nuclear energy does not actually fit the defenition of a "renewable energy" given its fuel - uranium - is a finite resource.
A new July 2009 report by McKinsey & Company shows that the U.S. economy has the potential to reduce annual non-transportation energy consumption by roughly 23 percent by 2020, eliminating more than $1.2 trillion in waste – well beyond the $520 billion upfront investment (not including program costs) that would be required.The reduction in energy use would also result in the abatement of 1.1 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually – the equivalent of taking the entire U.S. fleet of passenger vehicles and light trucks off the roads.
Please consider signing your organization on to a new international effort to prevent nuclear power from claiming any benefits and incentives during the December 2009 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. Called Ni Nucléaire, Ni Effet de Serre (neither nuclear nor the greenhouse effect) in France, where the campaign is based, and Don't Nuke the Climate, in English, the goal is to create a campaign document signed by organizations from across the world to be used in Copenhagen.
Nuclear power has been kept outside of climate change mitigation mechanisms to date. However, some evidence shows that the nuclear lobby could be preparing its comeback in Copenhagen to have this dirty energy labeled as clean or carbon-free and thus benefit from new subsidies. The campaign will produce petitions, postcards and sign-on letters and plans to have a strong media and advocacy presence in Copenhagen, December 7-18, 2009.
Please join Beyond Nuclear and sign onto the Don't Nuke the Climate campaign.
The United States has now joined IRENA, along with 21 other new member countries, bringing the total membership to 136 countries. See the IRENA Web site for more up-to-date news.
Longtime nuclear weapons/nuclear power opponent and Beyond Nuclear supporter, Hattie Nestel of Athol is not just walking her talk these days. She is driving it,too, in her new hybrid car complete with a No Nukes! and Go Green message. In the past 20 years, the veteran walker has logged thousands of miles around the world to carry her message. Now, she's driving it home, too.
August 3, 2009