.on Nuclear Power
June 2008
You may have noticed an absence of Network News for May... with project deadlines looming and hosting the annual Eclectic Tech carnival in Amsterdam (eclectictechcarnival.org), our hands were full. But, with organization of our Ecotopia 'Alternative Energies' meeting in Turkey now well underway, we would like to focus on the ongoing activities against Nuclear power.
Contents::
* Intro
* Do not forget Chernobyl
* EU keeps investing in nuclear power
* International day of action to support the Czech hunger strikers
* ECOTOPIA in Turkey
* International Anti-Nuclear Festival, Finland
* Bye-Bye Nuclear Bombs Action Camp, Germany
* Nuclear industry gears up for Global Push. So it's time to push back!
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Intro
Even though the arguments against nuclear power stand strong and valid for decades, the number of plans for new nuclear power plants continues to grow. Nuclear companies, supported by businesses and politicians, say that nuclear power is indispensable for fighting climate change and ensuring economic growth. They also claim that all the problems associated with nuclear power have been solved.
The truth is that nuclear power is dangerous, expensive, dirty and not helpful, and associated with numerous problems such as:
* the impossibilities of permanent storage of nuclear waste (DANGEROUS),
* the financial and technical problems of building nuclear power plants (EXPENSIVE),
* the impacts of uranium mining (POLLUTING),
* the numerous and serious nuclear accidents have taken place recently (NOT SAFE),
* the dangers of proliferation (ALSO RELATED TO PRODUCTION (AND USE) OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS),
* the contribution to, rather than mitigation of, climate change (NOT HELPFUL).
Read more and download brochures on nuclear power:
www.million-against-*nuclear*.net/million_brochure_all_72dpi.pdf
www.motherearth.org/nuke/info.php
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Do not forget Chernobyl
Reactor No 4 at Chernobyl exploded on April 26th 1986, 22 years ago. That day, one of the biggest technological and industrial disaster the world has ever known began. Chernobyl keeps claiming victims nowadays : its irreversible and catastrophic impact on health (cancers, multiple organ failures, mutations...) will affect generations to come.
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EU keeps investing in nuclear power
634.686 Europeans and more than 780 NGOs have signed a petition against developments of nuclear power in Europe (see www.million-against-nuclear.net). Still, the European Union continues to support the nuclear industry, notably through the Euratom Treaty. Article 1 of the Euratom Treaty says “it shall be the task of the Community to contribute to the raising of the standard of living in the Member States and to the development of relations with the other countries by creating the conditions necessary for the speedy establishment and growth of nuclear industries”. The Treaty was signed in March 1957 and channels funds to the nuclear power industry. It includes a lending facility with billions of Euros to help build or improve nuclear power plants.
All EU Member States are automatically members of Euratom. This also counts for states that never had nuclear power, have phased out nuclear power or have agreed to do so in the future. Unlike in most other fields of policy making, the European Parliament has no decision-making power over the Euratom budget. The Euratom €2.75 billion Euro budget for nuclear power for the next five years has hugely increased compared to the €1.35 billion Euros for the previous seven-year programme. From the same energy budget, the EU will spend only €1.175 billion on renewable energy and energy efficiency in the period 2007-2013.
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International day of action to support the Czech hunger strikers
Over the last few months, the US has been finalizing plans with the Czech Republic and Poland to build 'defensive nuclear missile shield' in these countries as part of a bigger project, which will potentially see the completion of construction of American missile bases all over the world. With the disapproval of Russia and other European countries, and the EU members failing to come to an agreed decision on the US plans, tension is rising, creating a precarious and uncertain atmosphere.
On May 13th, two Czech activists began a hunger strike to represent more than 66% of Czechs who are against the plans. The strike is now advancing into 24-hour 'shifts' where prominent figures involved with the Czech anti-nuclear movement will take part by fasting one after the other. Sign the petition asking the Czech government to reject the US proposal: www.nenasili.cz/en/791_no-star-wars-campaign
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ECOTOPIA in Sinop, Turkey, August 9-23
This year's Ecotopia will take place close to the city of Sinop on the Black Sea coast, one of the three planned location for the construction of nuclear power plants in Turkey. Despite the plans being opposed by local activist, the construction is likely to start next year. During this Ecotopia, Turkish and international participants will support local anti-nuke activities.
www.ecotopiagathering.org
www.ekolojikutopyalar.org/tr
www.thebiketour.net
Links to anti-nuclear groups and campaigns in Turkey:
www.sinopnkp.org
www.sinopbizim.org/kampanya/en.html
www.antinukleer.org
www.kureseleylem.org
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International Anti-Nuclear Festival, Eurajoki, Finland, June 23-28
Workshops, seminars, music, ACTION. A free international gathering to expose nuclear madness, create better alternatives and to have a good party! In close vicinity of Olkiluoto, nuke plant and building site of the world's largest nuclear reactor, a fault-ridden prototype...
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Bye-Bye Nuclear Bombs Action Camp, Buchel, Germany, August 25-31
The Buchel Military base currently stores between 11 and 20 nuclear bombs, with the destructive force of 150 Hiroshimas. In the case of war, German soldiers are obligated under NATO treaty and of course US instructions to transport the bombs and drop them on targets, regardless of whether targeted countries are in possession of nuclear warheads themselves. On 30th of August, the Buchel nuclear base will be encircled by activists as part of the week long protest camp. More explanation and information on participating can be found here:
www.europeanpeaceaction.org/bye-bye-nuclear-bombs-buechel-2008
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Nuclear industry gears up for Global Push. So it's time to push back!
The G8 summit in St.Petersburg of 2006 was a fruitful meeting for the nuclear industry. Not that weird if you consider that the nuclear weapons and energy programmes of G8 countries make up the majority of the world's nuclear technology. The influence of the nuclear industry and the military implications of nuclear technology have made nuclear issues a part of the agenda at the recent G8 summits and the protests against it. And yes, it's high on the agenda again for the coming G8 summit in Hokkaido Toyako, Japan July 7-9.
Article - G8 and the nuclear industry:
http://g8-2006.dissentnetwork.org/G8_And_Nuclear_Power
Protests 2006: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2006/2006-07-17-05.asp
G8 Japan 2008:"It is time world leaders recognize the power source as a practical way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," so says Japan's nuclear power industry:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070621f1.html
www.japantimes.co.jp/news/G8_summit_2008_agenda.html#G03
http://globalclimatechangeaction.org/node/233
No-G8 Japan: http://media.sanpal.co.jp/no-g8
G8 Action Network: www.jca.apc.org/alt-g8/en
Summary of the Anti-G8 Japan Action and Logistics: http://gipfelsoli.org
(More on the G8 and the world-wide protests against it in our July newsletter!!!)