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TagsNot much has changed in nearly 30 years.
Back in the 70s, musicians Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Graham Nash led a group of activists concerned about nuclear power, waste and the poisoning of the planet from this garbage.
It all came together with a series of five concerts at Madison Square Garden in 1979. The "No Nukes" effort raised public awareness and fed a growing disenchantment with the concept of nuclear power.
Browne, Raitt and Nash are back together again, this time putting their name at the top of a petition to Congress to oppose a section of the Senate Energy Bill, currently before them, that would give $25 million in 2008 and another $25 million in 2009 to build new nuclear reactors.
"We ask that all members of Congress join us in working to remove from the pending Energy Bill massively expensive loan guarantees — potentially a blank check from taxpayers — for the building of many more nuclear plants. We strongly support those parts of this Energy Bill that advances renewable portfolio standards, increased fuel efficiency for automobiles and other safe, clean solutions to global warming."There's a lot wrong with the Senate version of this bill.
First of all, everything always comes back to money.
Putting $50 million on the table for starters decreases the funds available to pursue alternative energy resources. Browne, Raitt and Nash point to a plant under construction in Finland. It is 18 months behind schedule and $900 million over budget. That's not a tab I want to be hit with as a taxpayer, nor should we drop this burden on our children and grandchildren.
The main factor, of course, is the danger these reactors create.
They super-heat rivers and streams; contribute to global warming through mining, milling and transportation of whole or waste products; they offer prime targets for terror attacks; they can melt themselves down, such as the case in Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.
There is no safe nuclear option.
The Department of Energy had glorious plans of taking the nation's nuclear waste and storing it in a dump at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
The plan is flawed.
The site is susceptible to water leakage and sits atop an active seismic fault. The routes to deliver the waste follow many of our most traveled highways through beautiful rural and urban settings that risk the population to exposure in the event of an accident or terror attack.
There are safer, more coherent options out there to protect the planet and its people, from wind, solar and bio-fuels to ocean thermal energy.
For years, we've heard Congress and White House administrations talk a lot about alternative fuel development. Not enough has been done, however, to advance the discoveries of these fuels to put them on the market.
A number of activists have already signed the petition, as have such important organizations as Physicians for Social Responsibility, Nuclear Energy Information Service, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility and tons of others.
You can do something by going to www.nukefree.org and signing the petition. Browne, Raitt and Nash will deliver the petition to Congress during a press conference on Lobby Day on Oct. 22.
Robert Greenwald's Brave New Foundation has produced a video that offers even more information on the dangers of nuclear power, set to an adapted version of Stephen Stills' song "For What It's Worth."
No matter how lame we may think Congress has become, it's still our responsibility to send the message: "No Nukes!"
Ed Kociela the City Editor of southern Utah's The Spectrum. He blogs at www.edkociela.com. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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Browne, Raitt and Nash reunite to fight nuke plant funding
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
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Eric McErlain
said:
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Nuclear Energy Institute Others are busy disputing their claims: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0znV5AgUot4 |
Jonathan
said:
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This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Ed There's different aspects of the bill... I'm working with a coalition to make sure Congress sends the president a strong energy bill with meaningful changes for our environment and planet. This legislation would be a monumental step toward stopping global warming. Please go to http://www.energybill2007.us and sign the petition. And let your readers know if you would. Congress finally has a chance to pass meaningful energy legislation. The bill they are about to pass includes the best fuel economy standards ever (35 mpg by 2020) and a renewable electricity standard (15% by 2020) that guarantees the growth of renewable, clean energy. But there is a chance these two key advances won’t make it through to the final bill. This is our chance for real progress, don’t let Congress back down! |
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