No Nukes News: Nuclear Gamble

Fri Jun 11 19:17:22 EDT 2010

No Nukes News

June 11, 2010

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Greetings anti-nuke, anti-coal and green energy friends.

Can you help distribute these leaflets with postcards to prominent
politicians? Their free! Just send me your mailing address and how many
you'd like and I'll mail them out pronto:

We Can Stop Burning Coal TODAY:
http://www.cleanairalliance.org/files/active/0/CoalPhaseOut-web.pdf 

No Need for COSTLY NUKES:
http://ontariosgreenfuture.ca/CostlyNukes_12_09.pdf 

Give them to friends, pop them in your work colleagues mail slots, or drop
them off in your neighbours' mailboxes. Help us get the word out that we CAN
transition away from coal and nukes to clean, green energy - now!

Thanks!

-angela at cleanairalliance.org 

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Nuclear Power and Public Health

The full story on the health effects of nuclear energy

The public health implications for a resurgence of nuclear power appear to
have taken a subordinate position to the economic and global warming
arguments that the industry has advanced to justify its expansion. The
purpose of this essay therefore is several-fold: to review the scientific
evidence for public health impacts of nuclear power, to assess occupational
hazards faced by nuclear industry workers involved in the nuclear fuel
cycle, to assess the evidence for nuclear reactor safety and critically
challenge the underlying assumptions which may be less than adequate. It
will also examine the public health risks of spent fuel from nuclear power
reactors. The common thread linking these safety issues is the risk posed to
public health by ionising radiation and in particular the cancer risk.

http://evatt.org.au/publications/papers/234.html

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Media watchdog finds CANDU reactor ads "inaccurate" and "unsupported"

Have you ever looked at advertisements for nuclear power and wondered how
organizations such as the Power Workers' Union can call nuclear reactors
"emission free"? The problem is, it just isn't accurate to say that nuclear
power is "emission free". Nuclear reactors emit all kinds of foul things
into the environment, and industry and government know it. In fact, CANDU
reactors at nuclear plants such as the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station
emit many different contaminants: 2-propenoic acid, ammonia, aromatic
hydrocarbon resin, benzene, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrazine,
morpholine, nitrogen oxides, phosphoric acid, quarterly ammonium compounds,
sulphur dioxide, suspended particulate matter, total hydrocarbons, as well
as tritium.

Advertising Standards Canada has just posted a decision to its website
declaring that it is inaccurate and unsupportable to call CANDU reactors
"emission free".

http://www.waterkeeper.ca/2010/06/09/media-watchdog-finds-candu-reactor-ads-
inaccurate-and-unsupported/ 

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A Nuclear Gamble on the Not-So-Distant Horizon

Much like Captain Renault in Casablanca, the White House is suddenly
shocked, shocked to find that oil rigs can explode, destroying ecosystems
and livelihoods. The Obama administration has backed away from its offshore
oil expansion policy in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe as the
long-term environmental and economic consequences unfold in the Gulf States.
Rather paradoxically, President Obama is using the oil spill to call for
more nuclear power.

Yet, with the exception of a handful of insightful political cartoonists,
the potential for an equally catastrophic accident in the nuclear sector has
not been drawn. As with the MMS debacle, the NRC is gambling with inevitable
disaster with the same spin of the wheel of misfortune and with potentially
even higher stakes. 

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/06/04-8 

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Union plan to starve uranium industry of labour 

A major union expects others to join its campaign to "starve" Australia's
uranium industry of workers.

The Electrical Trades Union has banned its members from working on uranium
mines, nuclear power stations or any other part of the nuclear fuel cycle.
The ETU says other unions have expressed strong support for the campaign
against uranium, which it has labelled the "new asbestos" of the workplace.

"We're sick of hearing about nuclear power as the panacea of global warming,
we're sick of people sweeping safety issues under the carpet," ETU secretary
Peter Simpson said on Tuesday.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-business/union-plan-to-starve-industry-
of-labour-20100601-wts3.html 

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Our plan to stop the oil: 95% renewables by 2050

Want a way to stop the corruption and pollution that the fossil fuel
industry is wreaking on our planet? We've seen a better future, and here's
our plan to get there: the Energy [R]evolution. 

Greenpeace teamed up with more than 30 scientists and engineers from
universities, institutes and the renewable energy industry to create our
Energy [R]evolution Scenario. Using only existing technologies, it charts a
course by which we can get from where we are now, to where we need to be:
decreasing CO2 emissions after 2015; 95% renewable electricity by 2050; a
phase out of nuclear power; 12 million jobs by 2030, with a third more jobs
in the global power supply sector than in a business as usual scenario.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/features/Our-plan-to-stop-th
e-oil-95-renewables-by-2050/ 

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Weaning the world off oil - Can we really kick the habit?
- an interview with Tom Rand

Solar plants as big as coal plants can produce power 24 hours a day.
Untapped resources like enhanced geothermal can power our entire
civilization by themselves. It turns out that the amount of (renewable)
energy available is absolutely stupendous and that the technology we have
can mitigate the transfer of this energy. 

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/06/08/f-qa-environment--oil-tom-rand.htm
l#ixzz0qXrBrcSA

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Activists take aim at coal-fired power plants 

Ontario continues to put health and lives at risk by failing to lower
emission limits at its coal-fired electrical plants, environmentalists and
health officials said Monday.

"The most appalling part there is enough capacity without the coal plants.
It's hugely frustrating. It's creating a huge amount of smog and greenhouse
gases. Closing the plants now would be an enormous improvement for human
health."

http://www.windsorstar.com/technology/Activist+take+coal+fired+power+plants/
3124473/story.html 

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McGuinty OKs 17% increase in dirty coal-fired electricity generation

The McGuinty Government has issued a shareholder directive
<http://www.opg.com/pdf/directive_co2_2010.pdf>  giving Ontario Power
Generation permission to increase the output of its dirty coal-fired power
plants by 17%, in each year from 2011 to 2014 inclusive, relative to its
actual level of coal-fired electricity generation in 2009.  

Despite the fact that Ontario can achieve a virtually 100% coal phase-out
today by simply ramping up <http://www.cleanairalliance.org/output>  the
output of its newer and cleaner natural gas-fired power plants, Premier
McGuinty's actions could lead to up to 1,148 needless deaths and up to
575,000 needless asthma attacks according to his Government's own
statistics.

To add insult to injury, Ontario's coal-fired power plants are no longer
profitable.  In 2009 the Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation (an
agency of the Government of Ontario) gave Ontario Power Generation $412
million to subsidize
<http://www.opg.com/pdf/Annual%20Reports/Annual%20Report%202009.pdf>  the
financial losses of its Nanticoke and Lambton coal-fired power plants.

Premier McGuinty's decision to permit Ontario Power Generation to increase
the output of its dirty coal-fired power plants by 17% is a cynical betrayal
of the public trust. To save lives, reduce asthma attacks and to help
prevent dangerous climate change, Premier McGuinty should direct Ontario
Power Generation to put its coal-fired power plants on standby reserve and
only operate them if they are absolutely necessary to keep the lights on.

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, the Canadian Association of
Physicians for the Environment, the Cities of Hamilton, Kitchener and Guelph
and the Toronto Board of Health are also calling for the Government of
Ontario to direct Ontario Power Generation to put its dirty coal plants on
standby reserve and only operate them if they are absolutely needed to keep
the lights on.

Premier McGuinty's decision to betray his 2003 election promise to phase-out
coal as soon as possible is testimony to the immense political power of
Ontario Power Generation and the Power Workers' Union.

Please contact Premier McGuinty <mailto:Dmcguinty.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org>
and ask him to phase-out our dirty coal plants now.

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Waterloo Region embraces the power of the sun

Local politicians are mounting solar panels on 37 more roofs, to help
promote solar energy and earn provincial cash. 

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/725178 

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Green schools program money well spent

It's well established that energy-efficiency retrofits offer the biggest
emissions-reduction bang for the scarce public buck. Energy savings of
between 15 per cent and 30 per cent can be achieved with proven and widely
available technologies. That being the case, why not just loan the money to
schools and other public institutions, and then have these institutions pay
back that loan - and maybe 2 or 3 per cent interest - from the energy
savings that result? What you end up with is a revolving fund, which is
essentially the gift that keeps on giving.

http://www.thestar.com/printarticle/819404

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Woe, Canada!

Everybody knows that Canada has walked away from its Kyoto targets, but you
may not have heard yet just how fast they're sprinting in the other
direction.

In recent weeks, a chorus of leaders - including UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon, the EU's Jose Manuel Barroso, and Mexican President Felipe Calderon
- have pointedly called on Canada to step up its effort on climate, both at
home and during the G8/G20 meetings it will host later this month.

http://www.climateactionnetwork.ca/e/news/latest/index.php?WEBYEP_DI=3

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OPG and Moose Cree start new hydro development

Ontario Power Generation and the Moose Cree First Nation have kicked off
construction on Northern Ontario's biggest hydro project in 40 years.

The Lower Mattagami project will nearly double the output of four existing
hydro stations on the river, which flows into James Bay.

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/821340--opg-and-moose-cree-start-new
-hydro-development

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Success!  COAT's antiCANSEC weapons bazaar campaign 

This year's campaign against CANSEC -- spirited by the Coalition to Oppose
the Arms Trade (COAT) -- was a lot of work, but it was well worth it!  We
raised public awareness, strengthened our community of opposition to
Canada's war-industry, and held a festive peace rally with 300 people
outside this country's largest weapons bazaar.

http://coat.ncf.ca/CANSEC2010/Success.htm 

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Let Green Power Grow: Stop New Reactors at Darlington

When: Sunday, June 13th - 12 - 4.   Meeting begins at 1.   Lunch served at
noon.

What: Information and Organizing meeting to stop approval of the new
Darlington reactors.

Where: Toronto Free Space Gallery, 1277 Bloor St West (Landsdown Subway),
Toronto

Why: Learn about environmental impacts of new reactors at Darlington and
find ways to stop them.

This is to invite you or a representative from your organization to attend
an information and organizing meeting on the federal review now underway of
the McGuinty government's proposal to build new reactors at the Darlington
site east of Toronto. These proposed new reactors are the biggest threat to
building a  renewable and sustainable energy system in Ontario.  While the
McGuinty government has taken some steps to develop green energy, its plan
to build new reactors at Darlington will effectively stop the growth of
green energy. To build an Ontario built on 100% green power, we must stop
the approval of the Darlington reactors. This is why we need your help.  

An alliance of environmental organizations, including Northwatch,
Greenpeace, Safe and Green Energy (SAGE), has been working to stop Harper
government's free pass for Dalton McGuinty's reactors. Join us. The session
will present the environmental threats posed by new reactors at Darlington
and allow for a discussion on how groups can get involved and help stop the
approval of the Darlington reactors. 

RSVP:  shawn.patrick.stensil at greenpeace.org 

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Peak Oil - The Road Ahead for Canadians

Speaker: the Rt. Hon. Ed Schreyer - former Premier of Manitoba, former
Governor General of Canada, and current head of ASPO Canada (Assoc. for the
Study of Peak Oil and Gas)

Tues. June 15, 7 p.m.

at Toronto City Hall Committee Room #2 

Organized by Post Carbon Toronto 

For more info: info at meetup.com 

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G8/G20 happenings in Toronto

The 2010 People's Summit: Building a Movement for a Just World
Fri. - Sun. June 18th-20th, Toronto

The 2010 People's Summit is civil society's alternative "counter Summit" to
the G8 and G20 Summits.  Together we will create a space where diverse local
and international movements can democratically organize to advocate and
educate for global justice. Over 100 groups, organizers, and activists from
around Canada and the world will offer workshops, skillshares, panels,
plenaries, strategy sessions, art, performance, and plenty more.  

Registration, program, accommodations, billeting, posters and more can be
found here: http://peoplessummit2010.ca/section/2

.....

Week of Action

June 21-27 

And after the People's Summit, the Toronto Community Mobilization Network is
coordinating a Week of Action from June 21st to 27th.  For full details of
actions and events planned that week, please visit
www.g20.torontomobilize.org.

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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

 <http://www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca/petition.php> Sign Our Petition

 <http://www.ontariosgreenfuture.ca/nonukesnews.php> No Nukes News

 <http://www.healthpower.ca/> Health Power

  <http://cleanairalliance.org/get_involved_donate> donate now

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