No Nukes News: Debunking SMNR Myths

Mon Nov 9 15:38:47 EST 2020

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Canada and the World

☢ Debunking the myths around Small Modular Nuclear Reactors Small “Mythical” Reactors are uneconomical, years away from implementation, don’t answer the climate crisis or jobs needs, and come with the same inherent risks and radioactive waste problems as the current large reactors. Watch the webinar recording and view the slides.

☢ 30 Canadian Groups say federal funding of new nuclear reactors is a “dirty, dangerous distraction” from tackling climate change “Nuclear energy is not green, not clean, too costly, and too slow to build.” SMRs will be up to 10 x more expensive than renewable energy. Ottawa “is trying to save the nuclear industry rather than saving the environment and protecting health.”

☢ U.S. corporations profit from major Canadian nuclear liability The nearly 70-year history of the federal crown corporation Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) has left a $16 billion toxic legacy of shuttered reactors, polluted lakes and groundwater, contaminated soils, and hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of radioactive waste.

☢ SMRs are actually DDDs (Dirty Dangerous Distractions) A primer by Montreal's Dr. Gordon Edwards

☢ Why is the Canadian government funding new nuclear power reactors? Great overview by Fredericton's Susan O'Donnell

☢ No more government subsidies to nuclear energy Op ed by Ontario's Dr. Cathy Vakil

☢ Federal gov't suppressing dissent on nuclear energy Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan recently announced a $20M grant for an Ontario company to develop a prototype SMR but refuses to engage with groups that oppose this direction.

☢ Nuclear Lunacy NASA, the US Dept. of Energy and others are pushing to put SMRs on the moon with no thought given to where the waste will go. This radioactive pie-in-the-sky must be stopped. 

☢ How the US poisoned Navajo Nation As WWII was ending, the growing nuclear arms race put the US in need of uranium. It turned to Navajo Nation, where the uranium mining industry thrived for 4 decades -- but left disease, pollution and the biggest radioactive spill in US history. 12 min. film.

☢ Nuclear Security: Sabotage & Terrorism Risks at Nuclear Power Plants; Lost/Stolen Nuclear Materials This presentation hosted by the US based Energy Justice Network discusses security breaches, vulnerabilities that still exist, and what you can do for nuclear security. 

Ontario
☢ You're now helping to pay the electricity bills of Ontario's biggest companies ON taxpayers to shell out $6.2 B/yr to artificially lower electricity rates - that's one sixth of our deficit! Instead of rebuilding 10 high cost nuke reactors, let's go renewable -- water power from QC, conservation and wind/solar can meet all our electricity needs at a fraction of the cost. Send an email to Finance Minister Rod Phillips today.

☢ We took down Enbridge’s pipeline plan! There will be no new Hamilton gas pipeline – at least for now. Enbridge Gas withdrew its application to build a giant new pipeline through Hamilton to bring more US fracked gas to Ontario and to facilitate Doug Ford’s plan to ramp up the output of Ontario’s gas-fired power plants by more than 300%. People power!

☢ Kitchener and Halton Hills call for the phasing-out of Ontario’s gas-fired power plants Last week the City of Kitchener and the Town of Halton Hills became the first municipalities to request the Gov't of ON to start phasing-out Ontario’s gas-fired power plants. More to come.

☢ A golden opportunity to reduce climate damaging emissions Prime Minister Trudeau directed the Canada Infrastructure Bank to invest $2.5 billion in projects to support renewable electricity generation and storage and to expand Canada’s east-west electricity grid. Ontario should apply for some of these funds to build a new 20 km transmission line between Ontario and Quebec through Ottawa. 

Renewables and Conservation
☼ Nuclear or renewables? 25-year study shows a clear winner Wind energy, and utility-scale solar are by far the cheapest form of new electricity you can put on the grid. They average about 5x cheaper than nuclear, 5x cheaper than gas combustion turbines, and 3x cheaper than coal. 

☼ Wind and solar now power a 10th of the world, while coal smoulders But Canadians can't brag, wind and solar generate only 5.3% of our total electricity – about half the global share.

☼ Electrify Everything — Save Tons of Money!

☼ Solar the ‘New King of Electricity’ 

Take Action
☢ Nuclear waste should not be buried underground in Ontario – Petition The Nuclear Waste Management Organization is proposing a deep geological repository to abandon spent nuclear fuel bundles underground in South Bruce, Ontario. Support the community in their request for a referendum.

☢ Tell the gov't of Canada not to invest in new reactors that will generate dangerous radioactive waste. Sign the House of Commons E-Petition 2849

☢ End the nuclear gravy train Send a message to Premier Ford, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner and tell them that we need to defund the nuclear industry to prevent our electricity rates from sky rocketing. 

☢ Please contact Premier Ford and your local MPP here and tell them that you want Ontario to seek funding from the Canada Infrastructure Bank for a new 20 km transmission line that will double our ability to buy low-cost water power from our next door neighbour. Here too.

☢ Send a message to all four Ontario Party Leaders asking them to close the Pickering Nuclear Station in 2024 when its license expires and immediately dismantle the station.

☢ Sign the petitions to phase out Ontario gas plants and immediately dismantle the Pickering Nuclear Station after shutdown in 2024

☢ Order your FREE leaflets here calling on the Ford Government to phase out gas plants and immediately dismantle Pickering Nuclear Station after shutdown in 2024. High school students can gain volunteer service hours. Contact angela at cleanairalliance.org for more info.

Events

☢ Protect Our Waterways – No Nuclear Waste Thur. Nov. 12, 7:30 - 8:30 pm ET. Dr. Gordon Edwards will address four questions: What is nuclear waste? Why is nuclear waste hard to contain? Why is nuclear waste so dangerous? Why a DGR (deep geologic repository) is the wrong solution?

☢ Why hasn’t Canada signed the UN Nuclear Ban Treaty? Thur. November 19, 6:30 p.m. ET.

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Our mailing address is:Ontario Clean Air Alliance160 John St, #300
Toronto, On M5V 2E5 Canada

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