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Our reaction to Government's nuclear waste plans
12 June 2008
Commenting on today's Government plans for dealing with Britain's stockpile of nuclear waste, Friends of the Earth's energy campaigner Neil Crumpton said:
"Britain's growing mountain of nuclear waste will remain a dangerous threat for tens of thousands of years, and is already costing the taxpayer over £70 billion in clean-up costs alone. Offering financial inducements to local communities to take radioactive waste is likely to make it more expensive still.
"Building a new generation of nuclear reactors would create more waste that is even more toxic than the current material. We need a long term strategy for dealing with our existing waste - not plans to add to it.
"Nuclear power isn't needed to meet our energy needs or tackle climate change. Rather than trying to breathe fresh life into this dangerous and expensive white elephant, the Government should be investing in far safer and cleaner solutions such as energy efficiency and safe renewable power.
"But instead of getting on with the job of leading Britain to a cleaner, greener future, the Government is trying to wriggle out of its EU renewable energy targets."
Last month Friends of the Earth published a report by former Guardian Environment correspondent, Paul Brown, on the `voodoo economics' of the nuclear industry [1].
Notes
www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/ ¬
taxpayers_will_have_to_ban_02062008.html
The UK is trying to weaken proposed EU laws on sourcing 20 per cent of EU power from renewable sources by 2020, for example by proposing that green energy investments in countries outside the UK or using carbon-capturing technology should count towards the target. Friends of the Earth believes this would miss a huge opportunity to tap into the UK's abundant wind and wave power and create a new industry worth millions of pounds and thousands of jobs. The EU must stand firm and introduce a strong Renewables Directive by the end of the year.
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jul 2008
