It has been said that one of the few issues for which there is by partisan support in the United States Congress is nuclear technology. The reason for this is the vast amount of money the industry spends on lobbyists in DC, advertising, and donations to political campaigns. Frequently this support is couched in terms of support for “all of the above.” This means we should try everything and see what works. This scattershot approach is inefficient and wasteful.
We need a targeted approach to the rapid, economical, renewable low carbon production of electricity.
This new report by the Union of Concerned Scientists makes it clear that the current push by the industry for Small Modular Reactors does not measure up to this standard. The Union of Concerned Scientists is not an anti nuclear organization. Their goal is safety and scientific accuracy.
We are at a critical juncture for energy policy in this country. Changes are coming. Even an agency like the FERC which has traditionally been a captive of fossil fuel interests is now contemplating considering the effects of green house gas as part of the approval process for new pipeline requests.
The only question is what these changes will include and if they will feature renewable and sustainable alternatives. The industry has a lot of money to use to influence opinion and decision makers. We have well informed citizens who are willing to take action. There has never been a more important time to get involved in educating your elected representatives.
Contact your Congressional representatives now! Express your concern about false solutions like Small Modular Reactors as another giveaway to the failing nuclear industry. Ask them to read this report. Ask for an appointment to meet with them and present even more information. Contact Marilyn Elie at 914-954-6739 if you need help with this.
Act now before it is too late.
Marilyn ElieIndian Point Safe Energy Coalition
United 4 Clean Energy
LONDON, 24 March, 2021 − Claims that a new generation of so-called advanced, safe and easier-to-build nuclear reactors − small nuclear power plants − will be vital to combat climate change are an illusion, and the idea should be abandoned, says a group of scientists.
Their report, “Advanced” is not always better, published by the US Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), examines all the proposed new types of reactor under development in the US and fails to find any that could be developed in time to help deal with the urgent need to cut carbon emissions. The US government is spending $600 million on supporting these prototypes.
