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Support for nuclear-free petition welcomed

Friends of the Earth Cymru has welcomed the support given to the Keep Wales Nuclear Free petition by the Welsh Liberal Democrats [1].

The petition, which will be presented to Tony Blair before the end of the energy review, opposes the building of any new nuclear power stations in Wales. It was launched by Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth in December and has since been backed by a wide number of organisations [2].

Gordon James of Friends of the Earth Cymru said:

"We welcome the support of the Welsh Liberal Democrats for the Keep Wales Nuclear Free petition. They are one of a number of organisations that have been happy to endorse the call for there to be no more nuclear power stations built in Wales.

"The call for new nuclear build is nothing but a costly and dangerous diversion. Nuclear power has had fifty years to prove itself but has failed to deliver economic, safe or clean energy and has left a legacy of hazardous waste and financial costs for future generations.

"It is once again being promoted as a quick-fix solution but, in reality, amounts to no more than a an expensive fig leaf that will divert funding from more secure, environmentally acceptable and cost effective options to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and ensure security of supply.

"Nuclear power provides Wales with around 30 per cent of its electricity or around just five per cent of its total energy needs. Within the ten years or more that it would take to build a nuclear power station, Wales could easily be generating this amount from renewable energy sources, such as onshore and large off-shore windfarms, tidal lagoons and energy crops.

"In addition, major savings could be made by improvements in energy efficiency in both the home and the workplace while our coal-fired power stations could be fitted with abatement technologies and co-fired with energy crops to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

"Nuclear power is unsafe, uneconomic and unnecessary and we urge the Welsh Assembly Government to maintain its opposition to it."

Gordon James will be representing Friends of the Earth Cymru at the Welsh Liberal Democrats' press conference to support the petition at the Welsh Assembly tomorrow (January 30th) at 11am in Committee Room 5.

Notes

1. The Welsh Liberal Democrats will be launching their support for the petition at a press conference in Committee Room 5 at the Welsh Assembly Building at 11am.

2. The petition is supported by the Centre for Alternative Technology, Friends of the Earth, WWF Cymru, Greenpeace, UK Green Party, Martin Caton MP (Lab,Gower), Paul Flynn MP (Lab, Newport West), Sundance Renewables, the Welsh Liberal Democrats and others.