No Nukes News: Why is electricity expensive?

Mon Feb 14 15:02:06 EST 2011

No Nukes News

Feb. 14, 2011

If it takes investing in 21st Century green power at an added cost of a few
bucks more per household each month, and sucking up our own failure to pay
for past mistakes, perhaps it's time to start paying these debts forward. I
will leave you with a final question: What do you imagine our grandchildren
might implore us to do if they could? - Paul McKay
<http://cpconference.ca/Page.asp?PageID=924&ContentID=2830> 

As a citizen and a parent, I am appalled by your plan to build new nuclear
projects.  I implore you: do not pour any public money down this radioactive
debt-hole. Please give real support to our growing green energy industry.  I
urge you to remove all caps on cleaner and greener energy sources in your
energy plan. I also urge you to require that all new nuclear projects
compete on a level playing field, by not allowing cost overruns to be passed
on to ratepayers and taxpayers. - Tania Szablowski, Toronto resident, in a
letter to Premier McGuinty. 

You can send a letter to McGuinty too! Click here:
http://www.cleanairalliance.org/letter_to_dalton2 

Order leaflets/postcards opposing the Darlington Newbuild:
http://www.cleanairalliance.org/get_involved_order_pamphlets 

Learn more about the province's plans to build new reactors at Darlington:
http://stopdarlington.org/ 

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Send a Valentines Email to Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent

Greenpeace has produced a special video for our special non-Environment
Minister Peter Kent. It is a spoof on the eHarmony dating service. We call
it Polluter Harmony or pHarmony.

Funny. And you can send the minister an email.

You can see it all at www.polluterharmony.ca

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Why is Electricity in ON Expensive? 

Here's the answer by Paul McKay

When the old Ontario Hydro effectively became bankrupt in 1999, about $30
billion in stranded debt was shifted to different government ledgers.
Virtually all of it was due to unrecoverable nuclear costs. This was
originally supposed to be paid down by 2012. But since 1999 Ontario
ratepayers have made $36.3 billion in cumulative payments on this stranded
debt -- yet $27.6 billion remains to be paid. Someday. Somehow.

$27.6 billion. How many in Ontario know of this debt, or what it means, or
how it will be dealt with? It is all but invisible to the public. Our
politicians want to keep it that way. Yet the press remains lazily
indifferent to this serial negligence while devoting acres of outraged ink
to microscopic payments paid to "solar baron" farmers who put up their own
money to put Pv panels on their barns.

This stranded debt, more than any other single fact, tells us that our
"public" utility is anything but publicly accountable, and that all the
price signals in Ontario's power "market" are dangerously distorted because
this lurking, $27.6 billion ice-berg of hidden debt is not treated as a
generation cost.

So we have a perverse optical illusion: more than half of Ontario's energy
comes from nuclear plants which appear far cheaper than they are, while new
renewable projects appear far more expensive than their secretly-subsidized
main rival.

http://cpconference.ca/Page.asp?PageID=924
<http://cpconference.ca/Page.asp?PageID=924&ContentID=2830> &ContentID=2830

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Chernobyl birds are small brained

Birds living around the site of the Chernobyl nuclear accident have 5%
smaller brains, an effect directly linked to lingering background radiation.
Smaller brain sizes are thought to be linked to reduced cognitive ability.
The effect was most pronounced in younger birds, particularly those less
than a year old. That suggests that many bird embryos did not survive at
all, due to the negative effects on their developing brain. 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9387000/9387395.stm

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Nuclear radiation is forever

By Helen Caldicott And Dale Dewar

Port Hope is the deep dark underbelly of the Canadian nuclear industry,
representing dangers that so far, have escaped sufficient scrutiny and
cleanup. 

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Nuclear+radiation+forever/4240391/story.
html 

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Canadian commission OKs shipment with radioactive waste on Great Lakes

<http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110208/NEWS02/302089956/
-1/ETN>
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110208/NEWS02/302089956/-
1/ETN

Nuclear shipment angers municipalities

City of Montreal officials have joined critics from across Quebec and
Ontario in condemning a decision to allow a huge shipment of radioactive
waste to travel through the St. Lawrence Seaway.

<http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/Nuclear+shipment+angers+municipal
ities/4235608/story.html>
http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/Nuclear+shipment+angers+municipali
ties/4235608/story.html

CNSC, Bruce Power called to the carpet over nuke shipment

A Commons committee intends to grill members of the Canada's nuclear
regulator and Bruce Power over plans to ship used radioactive generators
through the Great Lakes.
http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2011/02/06/17176581.html

Bruce Power scheme to ship radioactive nuclear waste a dangerous precedent

Justice for the environment - denied
http://www.sierraclub.ca/en/media/release/bruce-power-scheme-ship-radioactiv
e-nuclear-waste-dangerous-precedent 

Critics of Bruce Power say fight is 'not over'

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/934026--critics-of-bruce-power-say-fight
-is-not-over

Nuclear waste shipment ignores rule of law: Madahbee

First Nations in the Great Lakes watershed are accusing a federal government
agency of ignoring the rule of law by approving the shipment of nuclear
waste through their territories without even notifying them.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2011/08/c8977.html

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'Barred' from Port Hope: An interview with Dr. Helen Caldicott 

http://rabble.ca/news/2011/02/barred-port-hope-interview-dr-helen-caldicott

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The truth behind India's nuclear renaissance

Jaitapur's French-built nuclear plant is a disaster in waiting, jeopardising
biodiversity and local livelihoods

The global "nuclear renaissance" touted a decade ago has not materialised.
The US's nuclear industry remains starved of new reactor orders since 1973,
and western Europe's first reactor after Chernobyl (1986) is in serious
trouble in Finland - 42 months behind schedule, 90 per cent over budget, and
in bitter litigation. But India is forging ahead to create an artificial
nuclear renaissance.

http://www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments/commentators/other_comments/7
64515/the_truth_behind_indias_nuclear_renaissance.html

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Pelham against coal-fired hydro plants

Pelham has joined other municipalities in urging the Ontario government to
mothball coal-fired power stations. Jack Gibbons of the Ontario Clean Air
Alliance asked town council Monday to pass a resolution supporting its "coal
must go" campaign. It asks the government "to direct Ontario Power
Generation to put its coal plants on standby reserve and only operate them
if they are absolutely needed to keep the lights on in Ontario." 

http://www.wellandtribune.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2970828 

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When the Dust Settles

Animated short on the impact of depleted uranium weapons and the
international campaign against them, produced by the International Coalition
to Ban Uranium Weapons and IKV Pax Christi. 

http://www.youtube.com/user/ICBUW 

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Solar power: U.S. tries to cut costs, regain edges

Seizing on what President  <http://www.sfgate.com/barack-obama/> Obama
called this generation's "Sputnik moment," the federal government has begun
an effort to slash the cost of solar power by 75 percent and reclaim
America's lead in the fast-growing global industry. The effort, called
SunShot, aims to make photovoltaic solar power as inexpensive as electricity
from plants burning fossil fuels by the end of the decade. Energy Secretary
Steven Chu said Friday the U.S. government would refocus its existing solar
programs, which costs about $200 million a year. He also announced $27
million in new funding for companies exploring new solar technologies,
including three in the Bay Area.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/02/05/MND51HJ27H.DTL

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Misinformation fouls the wind debate

http://envirolaw.com/misinformation-wind-debate/ 

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More Clean Energy Jobs Coming To Toronto

Ontario has already attracted more than $16 billion in private sector
investment in the clean energy sector, and over 20 companies have announced
plans to set up or expand operations in Ontario. In 2003, Ontario had 19
polluting coal units and no solar projects online. Today more than 2,900
solar projects are feeding electricity into Ontario's grid, eight coal units
have already been shut down and by 2014 all coal units will be closed.
Ontario's long term energy plan forecasts 10,700 MW of renewable energy -
wind, solar and biomass - by 2018. This is equivalent to meeting the annual
electricity requirements of two million homes.

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/press-release/cls_shcay_more-clean-energy
-jobs-coming-to-toronto-1473078.html

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Blowing Coal Away - Wind power now competitive with coal in some regions

http://www.grist.org/article/2011-02-07-report-wind-power-now-competitive-wi
th-coal-in-some-regions

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Ontario stops offshore wind power development

The Ontario government has called a stop to any offshore wind power projects
in the province's portion of the Great Lakes, until further scientific study
is done.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-r
esources/ontario-stops-offshore-wind-power-development/article1904138/ 

Ontario halts offshore wind-energy projects 

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/Ontario+halts+offshore+wind+energy+p
rojects/4271179/story.html 

Ontario Places Moratorium on Offshore Wind Development

Estimates by the non-profit Conference Board of Canada suggest Ontario has
the potential to develop about 2,000 MW of offshore wind power.

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/21876

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Solar PV Becoming Cheaper than Gas in California?

The latest round of proposed contracts from a California utility for 250 MW
of solar PV projects comes in below the price of natural gas.

We hear it every day: "Solar is too expensive." Well, not according to the
California utility Southern California Edison.

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/02/solar-pv-becomi
ng-cheaper-than-gas-in-california?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-February9-2011

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Pulling the plug on phantom power can save hundreds

Just because you're not using it doesn't mean it's not costing you. Phantom
power can lurk in any corner of your home.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/pulling-the-p
lug-on-phantom-power-can-save-hundreds/article1898324/

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Angela Bischoff

Outreach Director

Ontario Clean Air Alliance

Tel: 416 926 1907 x 246

625 Church Street, #402

Toronto, ON M4Y 2G1

angela at cleanairalliance.org

www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca <http://www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca/> 

www.cleanairalliance.org <http://www.cleanairalliance.org/>  

Our Facebook Group

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