Centurions Greet International Nuclear Congress at Caerleon

Nuclear power chiefs will be met by two Roman centurions as they gather in the south Wales town of Caerleon on Wednesday (6 July) to discuss the future of their industry. The centurions, who will be representing Friends of the Earth Cymru, will be guarding a barrel symbolising highly toxic nuclear waste.

Caerleon was one of the main legionary fortresses of Roman Britain [1]. If the Romans had used nuclear power then the waste generated would still be deadly today.

UK Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks MP is due to give the keynote address to the Nuclear International Congress "Fuel for Thought" conference which aims to "showcase new opportunities" for nuclear power. [2]

While many in the industry are lobbying for the construction of a new generation of nuclear reactors in the UK, Friends of the Earth Cymru is calling on the UK Government to abandon nuclear power in favour of increased investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy systems, such as wind, solar and tidal power.

Friends of the Earth Cymru opposes nuclear power because:

• Nuclear power produces waste which remains dangerous for tens of thousands of years
• Nuclear power leads to radioactive discharges into the seas and atmosphere
• Nuclear power does not hold any financial benefits compared with the development of renewable energy
• The technology of nuclear power is intimately connected with the technology used to make nuclear weapons
• Nuclear facilities are uniquely vulnerable to terrorist attack [3]

Julian Rosser, Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru commented,

"If the Romans had met their energy needs with nuclear power we would still be dealing with the toxic waste today. Atomic energy is unsafe, expensive and an excellent target for terrorists. As for nuclear waste, we have been now been producing it for generations and we don't yet know what to do with it. The idea that nuclear power is the answer to any of the world's problems fails to recognise the huge waste and security issues of this costly and unnecessary form of energy.

"We need to see a huge investment in energy saving and a proper commitment to renewable energy from government and business alike. That way we can meet our energy needs and combat climate change without resorting to the nuclear option."