nuclear-news

Nuclear power will make South African society even more unequal

The only conclusion is that there is an immense amount of money in the nuclear industry for those involved and in power. They will reap the financial benefits, not the majority of South Africans. This will exacerbate the poverty-wealth gap.

Nuclear power will worsen the wealth gap Bishop Geoff Davies:Mail & Guardian,  Apr 20 2012  “…..In the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute, we believe we have to apply moral principles of justice and equity when making energy choices. We made this call at the COP17 climate talks in Durban in our Act Now for Climate Justice campaign — that is, justice for people and planet. ….

We are deeply concerned about the government’s nuclear plans because it is the wrong direction to take. Nuclear energy requires a centralised grid system and is extremely costly. Taking into account the mining of uranium, its transport and the construction of power plants, nuclear energy is certainly neither carbon-neutral nor “clean”.

Climate change is horribly real. We know we need low-carbon,
labour-intensive industry and sustainable employment with
decentralised, renewable energy that puts power into the hands of
people in local communities. Let us enter the clean solar age and
leave behind the dark ages of fossil fuel and nuclear.

Going the nuclear route will drive the final nail into the coffin of
our democracy. It will further concentrate power in the hands of the
wealthy and powerful. There has been no genuine consultation or
engagement with civil society, no debate in Parliament. The government
decided on nuclear energy and 20 months ago the director general of
the department of energy was reported as saying: “If the government
wants nuclear, I will make sure they get it.”

Why, when some of the most industrialised countries, such as Germany
and Japan, are turning their backs on it? The only conclusion is that there is an immense amount of money in the nuclear industry for those involved and in power. They will reap the financial benefits, not the majority of South Africans. This will exacerbate the poverty-wealth gap.
We are now in the humiliating position of being the most unequal
country in the world. Growing dependency on nuclear power will only
make this worse. The corruption potential could make the arms deal
look like a Sunday-school picnic. And, because it is dangerous and has
to be secured from terrorists, it has to be secret, hence laws to
muzzle the media. …..
http://mg.co.za/article/2012-04-20-nuclear-power-will-worsen-the-wealth-gap

April 21, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Religion and ethics, South Africa