A letter from one of our local Green councillors, Martin
Whiteside, tackling nuclear issues. Re-blogged for the benefit of those of you
who may otherwise have missed it.
23rd October
2013
Dear Editor,
The agreement to let the French and Chinese build a new
nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset has serious implications for
us in Gloucestershire. If we are not
careful, next in line could be the go ahead to build a massive new nuclear
power station close to us on the Severn at Oldbury. If something went wrong,
(like happened at Fukushima, Chernobyl or
Three Mile Island) this would, at average wind speeds, carry radioactive
contamination to us in Dursley in 40 minutes, Stonehouse in one hour and
Nailsworth or Stroud in 1 hour 20 minutes.
Nuclear power is not only dangerous, it also makes no
economic sense. These nuclear power stations will only be built with a
guaranteed price subsidy from you and me and our children - on our electricity
bills for the next 35 years. Our higher bills will be subsidising shareholders
and taxpayers in France and China for a generation! Does handing over this
technology to foreign companies make us more energy secure in an uncertain
future? The Greens don’t think so. Who will be left with the legacy of the
nuclear waste (we still have found a way of dealing with our existing waste –
let alone any new waste!) - we will! Who will suffer if there is an accident –
we will!
The Green Party energy policy is based on the latest
scientific evidence. It shows how we can live comfortable lives without nuclear,
while still radically reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. We need to invest
more in energy conservation and genuine renewables. The good news is that this
will also create many more local jobs than nuclear, and with technologies that
are locally owned and creating local profit. It makes a lot of sense.
Martin Whiteside – Green Party District Councillor
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