30th September 2006

Tony Blair rightly attacked Tory climate change policies in 1988 by saying: "What is unbelievably depressing about the government's response is that they see, in the evidence about greenhouse gases, not an opportunity to promote environmental concern, but a chance to make the case for nuclear power."

Today Mr Blair ignores his own words saying nuclear is needed to tackle climate change and energy security. Yet currently nuclear supplies less than 20% of electricity which is only 5% of our overall energy: unless massively expanded, nuclear would prevent a pitiful 3% increase in emissions through 2020 and 8% by 2035. This is dwarfed by projected increase in vehicle emissions in the same period.

Arguments about energy security are also nonsense. Infact nuclear reactors reduce out security and have the potential for catastrophic disaster. Sources of uranium are no more secure than current oil or gas supplies. Reactors are vulnerable to terrorist attack, prone to shutdowns and their radioactive waste has to be stored for hundreds of thousands of years and could be used in dirty bombs.

Meanwhile a Finnish nuclear reactor heralded as the start of a European nuclear 'renaissance' has swiftly become a financial nightmare for the nuclear industry: nuclear isn't even cheaper. Numerous organisations, including the Government’s own Sustainable Development Commission, the Green party, Friends of the Earth, WWF and others show that renewables, managing demand and energy efficiency measures are the way to go.

Clare Sheriden, Stonehouse,

Stroud District Green party,