No Nukes News: Nuclear Makes No Biz Sense
Angela Bischoff - OCAA
angela at cleanairalliance.org
Fri Mar 19 16:06:49 EDT 2010
No Nukes News
Mar. 19, 2010
Nuclear power grew out of the nuclear weapons program, and the nuclear fuel
cycle still produces the elements - uranium and plutonium - which can be
used to make nuclear weapons or radioactive "dirty bombs". The nuclear
industry argues that any nation or terrorist does not need a nuclear power
plant to make a bomb, they just need uranium enrichment. This is true.
However, the only "legitimate" reason to enrich uranium is to use it in a
nuclear power plant. The continued promotion and sale worldwide of
"civilian" nuclear reactors thus gives nations the excuse to operate uranium
enrichment programs, as we have seen in Iran. - Craig Severance
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Nuclear Power Makes No Business Sense
New nuclear power likely cannot succeed as a business proposal and thus
would require massive government support. This begs the question however -
should not Due Diligence also be applied to the proper use of taxpayer
monies? If so much is at stake for the U.S. and the world, should the U.S.
really be leading the way in throwing taxpayer monies at an industry without
asking the right questions
http://climateprogress.org/2010/03/15/world-has-much-at-stake-in-nuclear-pow
er-decision/
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Greening Ontario can afford to switch off coal power now
Op Ed by Jack Gibbons, OCAA
Ontario now has a very comfortable surplus of coal-free electricity
generation capacity. The upshot is that we can put our four remaining coal
plants on standby reserve today without jeopardizing the reliability of our
electricity system. A decision to idle these plants would result in a
virtual end to their emissions that destabilize our climate and pollute our
air.
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/article/780865--greening-ontario-can-afford-t
o-switch-off-coal-power-now
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ACTIONS - We can stop burning coal today!
Order your FREE leaflets now. Get your friends and colleagues to send these
postcards to Ontario's Premier McGuinty asking him to shut down our existing
4 coal plants before the G20 this summer.
Read and order our new leaflet here:
http://www.cleanairalliance.org/get_involved_order_pamphlets
Also, please email Minister Duguid and ask him to phase-out coal before the
G20 Summit; brad.duguid at ontario.ca
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Why paying more for electricity is good for you
How do jurisdictions with more expensive electricity cope? It's simple: they
use less of it. That's the remarkable thing about higher prices. It's an
efficient way to squeeze waste out of the system.
http://www.thestar.com/Business/CleanBreak/article/779813
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Don't buy Obama's greenwashing of nuclear power
.the Vermont Yankee situation demonstrates that from the mining of uranium
ore to the storage of radioactive waste, nuclear reactors remain as dirty,
risky, and as costly
<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/us/25nuke.html?pagewanted=1&hp> as they
ever were
http://www.grist.org/article/2010-03-08-dont-buy-the-greenwashing-of-nuclear
-power/
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CLIMATE CHANGE: In Canada, No News is Bad News
Canada's climate researchers are being muzzled, their funding slashed,
research stations closed, findings ignored and advice on the critical issue
of the century unsought by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government,
according to a 40-page report by a coalition of 60 non-governmental
organisations.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=50682
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The climatic consequences of nuclear war
Nuclear war of any kind would devastate the Earth's environment and cause
incredible cooling in surface temperatures. Yet these climatic consequences
are never considered by the nuclear weapon states when they are formulating
their nuclear doctrines.
http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/op-eds/the-climatic-consequences-of-nucle
ar-war
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Nuclear plants need real security
Charles S. Faddis is the former head of the CIA's unit focused on fighting
terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction.
The stakes here are enormous. A team of terrorists, which was able to seize
control of a nuclear power plant, could cause it to melt down with
relatively basic knowledge of the plant's operation.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/03/15/faddis.nuclear.plant.security/
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India withdraws nuclear power bill
The Indian government withdrew the introduction of a bill that seeks to
limit the liabilities of companies setting up nuclear power plants in the
country. India's opposition parties say the bill was being pushed through
because of U.S. pressure, that it does not protect Indian citizens in case
of a nuclear disaster and that most of the burden for any cleanup falls on
taxpayers.
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/Resource-Wars/2010/03/16/India-withdraws-nuc
lear-power-bill/UPI-63071268762099/
Editor's note: Sound familiar? This is the same story in every country that
has nuclear power - nuclear companies are protected while taxpayers take on
the liability risks, not to mention health and environmental risks.
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Nuclear bailout
Taxpayers will assume 100 percent of the risk of the expansion of Plant
Vogtle
Nuclear power cannot be financially viable without taxpayer support, which
includes not only federal loan guarantees but also risk insurance and
production tax credits that manipulate the cost of nuclear generated energy.
The shareholders won't have to worry though, because the state legislature
has ensured that all of Georgia Power's customers will pay any "prudent"
construction costs for the construction of Plant Vogtle. The surcharges will
appear on most customers' monthly bills starting in January 2011.
http://www.connectsavannah.com/news/article/101961/
Editor's note: Sound familiar? Ontarians are still paying the stranded debt
of our reactors built in the 70's and 80's - $150 per person per year, and
we will be for yet another decade.
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Canada risks missing out on the new green economy
Ottawa's wrong to cut back on research spending
The United States outspends Canada on renewable energy by a per-capita ratio
of 14 to 1, a gap that is expected to widen to as much as 17.8 to 1 under
the Harper government's new budget, the Pembina Institute estimates.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Canada+risks+missing+green+economy/2
699692/story.html#ixzz0idJ9MFyL
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Ban nuclear weapons from Arctic: Report
Arctic and nuclear weapon states need to work together to rid the Arctic
region of nuclear weapons, finds a new report by security analysts Michael
Wallace and Steven Staples. "Cold War-era nuclear weapon policies and
practices in the Arctic, such as nuclear submarine patrols and over-flights
by bombers, pose an environmental risk to the region, and an unnecessary
security threat to the international community," said Steven Staples,
President of the Rideau Institute.
http://www.ceasefire.ca/?p=4273
<http://www.ceasefire.ca/?p=4273&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_
campaign=Feed%3A+ceasefire%2FycPl+%28Ceasefire.ca%29>
&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ceasefire%2FycP
l+%28Ceasefire.ca%29
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Cheap, and green
The Ottawa Citizen, Editorial
But sometimes we forget the little things that our grandparents knew: The
cheapest energy is the kind you never have to generate.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Cheap+green/2683238/story.html
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150 German towns want nuclear power ended
Local power utilities in Germany have formed an anti-nuclear power alliance
saying that planned longer running times for nukes are endangering their
plans to invest billions in climate-friendly green energies.
The local utilities are pressuring the federal government to either drop the
nuclear extension or shut down coal burning stations instead.
http://de.indymedia.org/2010/03/275960.shtml
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Thinking about solar panels? Want to assess your site and the financial and
environmental benefits?
The Toronto Renewable Energy Coop (TREC) has recently launched their 'Our
Power' program to help residential homeowners with the assessment and
purchase of PV solar panels for their rooftops. With Ontario's new microFIT
program in place, homeowners can get paid to generate renewable electricity
on their roofs; directly offsetting fossil-fuelled power generation.
Find out how much you can make and how many tons of GHGs you will offset.
Membership is free and your site assessment is only $25. Sign-up today at
www.ourpower.ca
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Life After Growth: Why the Economy Is Shrinking and What to Do About It
A talk by author, journalist and educator Richard Heinberg.
Mon. Mar. 22
6:30 pm Primer and overview of Peak Oil issues by members of Post Carbon
Toronto
7:00 pm Richard Heinberg
Trinity St. Paul's United Church, 427 Bloor (West of Spadina)
Richard Heinberg is widely regarded as one of the world's most effective
communicators of the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels. With
a wry, unflinching approach based on facts and realism, Mr. Heinberg exposes
the tenuousness of our current way of life and offers a vision for a truly
sustainable future.
For more info:
http://www.meetup.com/PostCarbonTorontoMeetup/calendar/12703066/#comments
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Climate Change and Environmental Decline as a Moral Issue
A 2-day Retreat in Toronto - April 16-17, 2010
Program: http://ucalgary.ca/oikos/Retreat/Toronto/Program
Register now: http://ucalgary.ca/oikos/retreat/Toronto
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Angela Bischoff
Outreach Director
Ontario Clean Air Alliance
Tel: 416 926 1907 x 246
625 Church Street, #402
Toronto, ON M4Y 2G1
angela at cleanairalliance.org
www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca <http://www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca/>
www.cleanairalliance.org <http://www.cleanairalliance.org/>
Our Facebook Group
<http://www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca/petition.php> Sign Our Petition
<http://www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca/nonukesnews.php> No Nukes News
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<http://cleanairalliance.org/get_involved_donate>
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