No Nukes News, June 8, 2012: Mothers Movement Against Nuclear Power

No Nukes News, June 8, 2012: Mothers Movement Against Nuclear Power

Published on June 9, 2012 by Ron Hart in Home

June 8, 2012 – Please pass this onto a friend!

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on his not understanding it” - Upton Sinclair

The situation with respect to the growing contribution of wind power in Ontario and the problems caused by the relative operational inflexibily of nuclear facilities begs some serious questions about the wisdom of attempting to refurbish the Darlington nuclear power plant (and to build new nuclear facilities) as the province is proposing to do, when less costly, less risky and more flexible options are becoming available on a large scale. – Mark S. Winfield, Associate Professor, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University

I’ve been in the utility industry for 40 years, and I have come to realize that you have to be blind not to be an alarmist about nuclear power. Anyone who says last year’s catastrophe at Fukushima was an aberration is literally whistling past the graveyard. The risks are real, and it’s time to get rid of these time bombs before they go off. – S. David Freeman

Canada

☢ Jack Gibbons Chair of Ontario Clean Air Alliance on power generation in Ontario

30 min. audio interview

☢ Uranium Exploration: Mistissini Says “No” and Calls for a Moratorium

Chief Shecapio explained that his Council intends to do “whatever it takes” to implement a moratorium on uranium development. “In light of the lack of social acceptability, cultural incompatibility and the lack of a clear understanding of the health and environmental impacts of uranium mining, it would be reckless for us as a people to move forward and allow the licensing of Strateco’s advanced exploration project. We are seeking a moratorium on uranium mining and exploration on our traditional lands as well as in the province of Quebec”, said Chief Shecapio.

The World

☢ Nuclear, coal power face climate change risk

Warmer water and reduced river flows will cause more power disruptions for nuclear and coal-fired power plants

☢ In Japan, a Mothers’ Movement Against Nuclear Power

The Fukushima disaster has brought a powerful new demographic to Japan’s anti-nuclear movement: mothers.

Renewables

☢ Renewable Energy Facts: Ontarians Have a Good Deal

A Few Questions for Ontario’s Auditor General on Renewable Energy Report

☢ Revitalizing Rural Communities through the Renewable Energy Cooperative

☢ Henry Red Cloud: Solar Warrior for Native America

Bringing renewable energy and jobs to reservations.

☢ “We are not against wind mills,” says Six Nations group

☢ Japan: New feed-in tariff system a rush to get renewables in play

Liberal Democratic Party maverick Taro Kono said opposition to green energy feed-in tariffs stems from vested interests: the nuclear power lobby, meaning pronuclear politicians in his own party as well as in the ruling Democratic Party of Japan; the pronuclear METI; the utilities; and powerful business lobbies like Keidanren, whose members include firms that build nuclear reactors or consume large amounts of electricity and fear massive price hikes via renewable energy.

☢ Solar Power More Competitive Than Decision-Makers Or Consumers Realize

Average PV module prices have fallen by nearly 75% in the past three years, to the point where solar power is now competitive with daytime retail power prices in a number of countries.

☢ U.S. Slaps High Tariffs on Chinese Solar Panels

☢ Restoring Balance: A Review of the First Three Years of the Green Energy Act with respect to energy conservation

By the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario

☢ Energy Efficiency Makes Nuclear Power Seem Like A Waste of Money, Energy & Jobs

Infographic – For half the cost of a nuclear power plant, 1.6 million homes could be retrofitted to be energy efficient enough to offset the entire power output of that plant, all while generating 220,000 jobs–roughly 90 times more than with another nuclear power plant.

☢ How Does Energy Efficiency Create Jobs?

☢ Renewable Natural Gas as a way to curb waste and emissions Renewable Natural Gas, or biomass, is a means of turning waste into energy savings, emissions and GHG reductions, storable and dispatchable fuel, increased energy security, economic development and job creation.

Act Now!

☢ Sign the Avaaz Petition To UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Prime Minister Noda

As global citizens, we call on you to urgently send an independent team of international experts to assess the dangerous situation at Fukushima Daiichi reactor #4 and recommend clear steps to prevent disaster. A pool of deadly radioactive cesium still sits exposed — risking a human nuclear catastrophe 10 times as bad as Chernobyl. The Japanese government is not responding. It’s time for urgent international action.

☢ Urge Canadian government to cancel proposed radioactive waste dumps on Great Lakes shoreline

☢ Hudak’s Nuclear Fantasy

Ontario Opposition Leader Tim Hudak released his strategy to lower electricity rates, namely, cancelling the Green Energy Act’s feed-in-tariff for renewable energy and embarking on a major nuclear spending program to ensure that nuclear power will meet “half of our power needs.” Please send Mr. Hudak a message here and ask him to develop a credible, fact-based strategy to cut the real waste in Ontario’s electricity system – nuclear power.

☢ Order our new leaflet

calling on the ON gov’t to halt their massive nuclear expansion plans – they’re free and contain postcards to Energy Minister Bentley asking him to favour lower-cost, safer and greener options. Distribute them to your friends and neighbours.

☢ Send an email to ON Energy Minister Bentley

and ask him to finish the coal phase-out in 2012 and invest in energy conservation rather than build or rebuild new nukes.

☢ Please email Ontario’s Finance Minister Dwight Duncan

and tell him that the electricity sector review must include a “value for money” analysis of future supply options