Wales TUC should support renewables not nukes

Friends of the Earth Cymru has criticised the Wales TUC for supporting a revival of the nuclear industry in Wales. The group has pointed out that energy efficiency and renewable energy are not just safer than nuclear power but create many more jobs.

Gordon James, Campaigner for Friends of the Earth Cymru commented:

"Nuclear energy should still not be considered as a sensible way forward. It is expensive and heavily subsidised, vulnerable to terrorist attack and creates waste which remains deadly for tens of thousands of years. Also, it would not be able to plug any energy shortage in the short term as it is estimated that it would take about fifteen years before the construction of new nuclear power stations would be completed.

"We also don't need to reconsider nuclear power while there are so many other better options available to us.

"It is disappointing that trade unionists in Wales are joining the calls for new nuclear stations when there is so much potential for us to reduce the amounts of energy we are using. Investing in energy efficiency can save money for low income families, create jobs and help solve our energy problems.

"Similarly, renewable energy schemes create far more jobs than nuclear power stations without adding to climate change or leaving a toxic legacy. We hope that trade unions in Wales will get behind the fight for clean energy, efficiently used, rather than pushing the expansion of the nuclear option."