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SONE Launch News Ministers Leaflet |
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Written by Sir Bernard Ingham
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Monday, 30 May 2005 |
Supporters of Nuclear Energy – a group of individuals – has
prepared the attached leaflet for the incoming Government because of
the urgent need to construct a realistic and practical energy policy
that secures electricity supplies at affordable cost while at the same
time reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Nuclear power, we argue, is the only form of tried and tested bulk
electricity generation that can do that. We describe it as “the green
route to secure and reliable power” and “Nature’s gift for maintaining
economic development without endangering the climate”.
The leaflet has been sent to members of the Government, MPs, peers,
senior officials and opinion formers. It is intended as a factual
contribution to the promised reviews of energy policy.
The text explains why:
- there is a looming crisis in electricity supplies and why another “dash for gas” can only exacerbate the problem
- the contributions of renewable sources of energy are limited by
availability, reliability, land requirements, cost or greenhouse gas
reduction
- the contributions of energy conservation and clean coal technology are also limited by practical issues or cost.
The leaflet then gives five reasons why a new nuclear power station building programme should be started now:
- to ensure security of supply
- because it is the only way of generating bulk supplies of electricity reliably without producing greenhouse gases
- because it is the cheapest electricity generation option when environmental costs are taken into account
- for safety reasons – not a single recorded death from a radiation accident in 50 years
- because there are no insuperable technical problems in disposing of highly radioactive wastes.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 31 May 2005 )
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