Attention: Chicago Greens – from the Nuclear
Information and Resource Service nirsnet@nirs.org
For information locally, contact the Nuclear Energy Information Serives (NEIS)David A. Kraft, Director3411 W. Diversey, Ste. 16Chicago, IL 60647 USA(773)342-7650; -7655 faxneis@neis.orgwww.neis.org
SENATE CLIMATE CHANGE BILL COULD GIVE
BILLIONS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO THE NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY
YOUR CALLS NOW CAN STOP THIS, AND HELP
PAVE THE WAY FOR CLEAN, SAFE AND AFFORDABLE SOLUTIONS TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS
May 12, 2008
Dear Friends:
The Lieberman-Warner
climate change bill is slated to come to the Senate floor the week of June 2-6,
2008.
Without even
explicitly mentioning nuclear power, the bill would be the largest giveaway to
the nuclear power industry ever—some $500 billion worth.
And if that weren’t
enough, we expect
one or more amendments to be submitted to give even more billions of taxpayer
dollars to the nuclear industry; further reduce public participation in nuclear
issues; and speed the development of new radioactive waste sites over public
opposition.
We need to stop this
nuclear nonsense, and your voices need to be heard.
Even our friends in the
Senate, like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), say they are not receiving enough
phone calls on this issue. They, and we, are urging you to call your
senators now and demand that they oppose any nuclear provisions or
amendments to the Lieberman-Warner bill.
Your calls are especially
important because the nuclear industry is actively lobbying to obtain more
taxpayer dollars, and they have far more resources to do so than the
environmental movement.
Please call your
Senators today: Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121.
And activate e-mail
lists, phone trees, myspace and facebook sites, and any other networks you
have. We need to get as many of your voices to the Senate as possible.
Some background
information on the Lieberman-Warner bill, and some of the nuclear provisions
now being talked about, is below.
First, we all know that
election campaigns take huge sums of money, and we know that many of you have
been contributing to your candidates this year. But issue campaigns, like this
one, require resources too. After you’ve called your Senators, please
consider making an extra $30 donation (or $300 or $3,000, if you can!)—in honor
of NIRS’ 30th anniversary this year—on our secure website here.
Background information on Lieberman-Warner Bill (S. 2191)
According to an aide to
Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), the Lieberman-Warner climate change bill
scheduled to be debated on the Senate floor during the first week of June
“would be the most historic incentive for nuclear in the history of the United
States."
The cap-and-trade carbon
emissions system that the bill would establish would both make utility
investments in carbon-emitting technologies like coal and gas less economically
competitive by putting a price on carbon, and would also create a fund—totaling
as much as $500 Billion over the next four decades—that could be used for
nuclear power investment.
There are many problems
with the proposed legislation, not the least of which is that its emissions
reductions targets fall far short of what science now says is necessary to
avoid a climate catastrophe. In fact, the global carbon emissions reduction of
80% by 2050 called for by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Global
Climate Change translates into a 95% reduction in U.S. emissions—or essentially
a carbon-free energy economy. But at best, the Lieberman-Warner bill would
reduce emissions about 60-70% by 2050, and perhaps not even that much.
Nuclear amendments that
have been discussed on Capitol Hill may include some, or even all, of the
following:
*more money for taxpayer
loan guarantees for new reactors
*more money for “risk”
insurance if reactors are delayed because of interventions or other licensing
problems
*establishment of
“interim” storage sites for high-level radioactive waste
*speed-up of Yucca
Mountain licensing
*further restrictions on
public participation in reactor licensing
*money for training
nuclear engineers
*money for training
skilled workers (like welders)
*money for security
guards and improvements
*money for Hardened
On-Site Storage
*money to build new
factories to manufacture large reactor components
*money for new
transmission lines
*money for transformers
We need safe, clean, fast
and affordable solutions to the climate crisis. Nuclear power meets none of
those criteria. Your actions now can make a real difference!
Please call your
Senators today: 202-224-3121, and alert your colleagues, co-workers, church groups, PTAs,
and all of your friends and ask them to call too! And please call both of your
senators no matter where you think they may stand on the issue: we need to
create a better sense in the Senate that people care about this issue.
Thank you for all you do.
Together, we can stop the nuclear industry’s misguided notion that climate
change legislation is their opportunity to have an atomic Christmas in June!
As always, if you have
questions or comments, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Michael Mariotte
Executive Director
Nuclear Information and
Resource Service
301-270-6477
This is NIRS’ 30th anniversary year: Help kick off
our next 30 years, and our work to build a nuclear-free, carbon-free energy
future, with your most generous contribution possible. Please make your
tax-deductible donation here.
And if you haven’t done so yet, don’t forget to sign the statement
on nuclear power and climate at www.nirs.org (but please don’t sign more than
once!). If you’ve already signed, please ask your friends and colleagues to
sign