Archived press release

Nuclear power: A dangerous and expensive distraction to real climate solutions

26 March 2008

Business Secretary John Hutton's claim that Britain must "significantly expand" its nuclear power production for the sake of national security and to combat climate change is misleading and dangerous, Friends of the Earth said today. The environmental campaign group said that if the government put this level of commitment into genuine green solutions - expansion of renewables, energy efficiency, combined heat and power and cleaner carbon technology - we could lead the world, create thousands of jobs and meet our energy needs.

The UK must dramatically expand its renewable power resource in order to meet the EU 2020 target - yet the Energy Bill currently going through Parliament will not deliver this. Although the Government is prepared to throw money and political weight behind nuclear power, the Government has so far refused to support real solutions to climate change such as introducing a Feed In Tariff, which would guarantee a premium price for renewable electricity generated in people's homes and by businesses.

Friends of the Earth's nuclear campaigner, Neil Crumpton said:

“The Government is misleading the public about nuclear power. A replacement nuclear programme is not an effective solution to climate change as it would only generate between 4 and 5% of our energy needs. And talk of an expanded programme is really pie in the sky considering the timescales and technical realities involved. It also leaves behind a deadly toxic legacy that will remain a threat for tens of thousands of years, and this has already cost the taxpayer over 70 billion. Building new reactors would create even more waste and take resources away from safe and sustainable solutions to climate change such as renewable power, energy efficiency and combined heat and power. Urgent action is needed to cut UK emissions, but throwing more money and resources at the nuclear white elephant is a dangerous and expensive distraction.”

Friends of the Earth says that nuclear power is not the answer because:

• Replacing the current generation of nuclear plants would only deliver around 4-5 per cent of UK energy consumption. Expansion beyond this would take decades, and new reactor designs are not a proven technology. In the meantime, the Government is not prepared to take the necessary steps (such as a introducing a Feed-In Tariff) to boost low-carbon solutions such renewable power.

• NucIear power is expensive and leaves a legacy of deadly radioactive waste that remains dangerous for tens of thousands of years. After 50 years of civil nuclear power we still don't have a long-term strategy for dealing with the waste that has already been created. Furthermore, UK tax-payers are already committed to a bill of up to 70 billion to deal with our nuclear legacy.

• Building new nuclear plants would undermine renewable energy by steering investment away from them, and hinder the UK attempts to meet the EU target of 20% UK energy from renewable sources by 2020

• A new nuclear programme would encourage other countries to go down the dangerous nuclear route, with potential implications for nuclear weapons proliferation.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust