News
Green MEP tells students ‘nuclear power is not a safe option’
Commenting on the report, Green Party Leader, Caroline Lucas MP said:
“The Government’s Weightman report, rushed out today in a Written Statement offering little chance for Parliamentary scrutiny, will do little to reassure the British public that the nuclear industry can be trusted to power our energy future." (3)
Keith Taylor MEP is a long standing campaigner against nuclear power and has recently visited Japan where he met with anti-nuclear campaigners. The Greens in the European parliament have supported a report on Nuclear Waste Management and Keith has recently raised his concerns about the safety of building a new nuclear power plant at Dungeness, in his South East England constituency.
Keith said: “Nuclear power is not safe and it is not an economically viable solution to our country’s energy needs. The problem of how to store dangerous nuclear waste for tens of thousands of years remains unanswered, and it is irresponsible to leave a toxic legacy for future generations. Taking the legacy of the waste into account the costs of nuclear far exceed the costs of renewables. The government needs to focus its efforts on improving energy efficiency and using the natural resources we have which can generate enough safe, clean, sustainable power.”
Friday's debate on nuclear safety promises to be an interesting and contested debate. Audaye Elesedy Chair of Exeter Green Party and another participant in the debate said:
“The nuclear debate seems to be in an interminable struggle to reach a conclusion. I think that's because it isn't just one question to be answered; it's a web of questions and answers that provoke us to challenge ourselves on many assumptions about the way we live and, to an extent, why we live that way. It is deeply political, expressly scientific and provokingly personal the conclusions as a result carry significant impact.”
Starting at 7.30pm on Friday 14 October in the Parker Moot Room at Exeter University and open to the public, proposing the motion 'This House Believes Nuclear Power Is Unsafe' will be Keith Taylor MEP (Green Party) and Audaye Elesedy, Chair Exeter Green Party. Opposing the motion are Roger Helmer MEP (Conservative Party) and Nigel Knee, Head of Nuclear Policy EDF Energy.
More details here - https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=161628107261957
References: