nuclear-news

Nuclear power’s potential for devastating financial losses

Time for Ontario to get out of nuclear power business 23 Sept 11,  North Bay Nugget , Green Party,  The disaster at the Fukishima nuclear facility in Japan has served as a wakeup call to the entire world that nuclear-powered electrical generation is not only unsafe, but also has the potential to cause devastating financial losses.

These losses are not confined to the balance sheet of the power company itself, but spread throughout the economy, dragging down the entire country. German energy giant Siemens, formerly a major builder of nuclear facilities, has just announced that it is getting out of the nuclear power business, as they see greater profit potential in building renewable energy projects.

Governments in Japan, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy have announced that they will phase out nuclear over the coming years, as it is clear their citizens have had enough of the bloated costs and risks to their health and very life itself. The Harper government in Canada has also taken steps to distance itself from nuclear power, with the recent sale of Atomic Energy Canada Limited for a mere 15 million dollars, after having sunk over 17 billion dollars into the company over the years in taxpayer-funded government subsidies…

It is time for the government of Ontario to get out of the nuclear power business as well. It is time to quit wasting our money on this expensive and unsafe form of power generation. Let’s phase out nuclear power plants as they reach the end of their productive lives, and replace this power with far cheaper and safer hydro power, gas-fired co-generation, biomass and other renewables. Nuclear not only puts our lives at risk, it puts our economy at risk too. Enough is enough!

Mr. McGuinty, Mr. Hudak: the whole world has learned a lesson from the Fukishima and Chernobyl disasters; why won’t you?

Voters in Nipissing who would like to discuss this issue further can come out to see Nipissing Green Party candidate Scott Haig at a town hall meeting Monday, September 26th at 7 p.m., at the French hall, Les Compagnons, 327 Dudley Street, off O’Brien one block south of the bypass.

Together, let’s raise our voices against nuclear power!

http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3310467

September 24, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general