nuclear-news

South African government irresponsibly promoting nuclear energy

Greenpeace Africa, who accuses the government of being irresponsible in approving plans for nuclear expansion. ….South Africa is ill-equipped to handle nuclear power generation. “We have a very weak nuclear regulator, little nuclear expertise in the country and a dependency on foreign nuclear expertise and technology,”

Cold and desolate in the dead zone, Mail & Guardian, ILHAM RAWOOT – Apr 29 2011,  “……….In the wake of the disaster South Africa’s Cabinet approved the Integrated Resources Plan, or IRP2010, which aims to expand nuclear power capacity so that it contributes 23% of the country’s energy by 2030, up from the 6% that Koeberg currently generates. To do this the government is planning to build six new nuclear power stations, each with a capacity of 16 00MW.

“It’s dangerous, as we can see from the nuclear disaster in Japan, but also produces dangerous radioactive waste, for which there is no solution yet anywhere in the world,” says Rianne Teule, energy campaigner for Greenpeace Africa, who accuses the government of being irresponsible in approving plans for nuclear expansion. “And nuclear power is expensive. Money spent on energy efficiency and clean energy sources will result in more CO²emissions reductions.” Besides, says Teule, there are no guarantees that an accident like Chernobyl won’t happen here.

“The nuclear industry has told us for 60 years that all is under control and there will never be accidents like this,” she says. “They were, and still are, wrong.”

Teule says South Africa is ill-equipped to handle nuclear power generation. “We have a very weak nuclear regulator, little nuclear expertise in the country and a dependency on foreign nuclear expertise and technology,” she says.

It’s not a risk, say activists, that South Africans should take — and a walk through the Chernobyl dead zone tends to bear them out…. http://mg.co.za/article/2011-04-29-cold-and-desolate-in-the-dead-zone/….

April 30, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, South Africa