World Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference Protest 4-6-2011

"NUCLEAR POWER: NOT SAFE, NOT CLEAN, SHOULDN'T BE PART OF ENERGY FUTURE"
Chicagoans react to Fukushima disaster, Illinois' nuclear over-reliance -- protest nuke industry

CHICAGO—Chicago safe-energy activists and organizations rallied outside the World Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference in Chicago today to send a message to the nuclear industry, and its political supporters in Washington.
"Nuclear power is not safe, not clean, and should not be a part of our energy future," says Angie Viands, a member of Rainforest Action Network Chicago. "Energy companies and governments should be financing renewables that already exist, like solar and wind," Viands says.
For the first time in a decade large numbers of Chicagoans are rallying publicly against nuclear power, this time outside a conference dedicated to continuing nuclear pollution worldwide.
"Fukushima is only the most current reminder that nuclear power is not compatible with the healthy planet. It's time to call a halt to the 'nuclear age'," maintains Dave Kraft, director of the Nuclear Energy Information Service, a Chicago-based anti-nuclear, safe-energy organization.
Awareness of the nuclear problem has increased exponentially since the Fukushima nuclear disaster began on March 11th. Polls indicate over 92% of Americans are following the story. Concerns over everything from the similarity of reactor designs used in Illinois to those in Japan, to evacuation preparedness, to the potential health effects of the measured radiation exposures coming over the Pacific have brought people out to demand a new energy direction.
"If a crisis at a nuclear reactor happened in IL, we would be living in a danger zone. In a 10-mile radius, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission says the air would be unsafe to breathe. In 50 miles, food and water supplies may be unsafe," notes Dr. Lora Chamberlain, a long-time safe-energy advocate. Shockingly, it was recently revealed that the EPA staff has for some time been considering raising allowable levels of radiation exposure in areas that suffer a nuclear accident to thousands of times the current levels. ( http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1325 ) This move is being strenuously challenged by safe-energy and public employee groups in Washington.
Earlier in the week, a delegation of safe-energy advocates met with Governor Quinn and his staff in Chicago to discuss in detail some of the current risks and concerns surrounding the current over-reliance on nuclear power in Illinois.
"The Governor and his staff gave serious consideration to a long list of ongoing and potential nuclear problems, " Kraft notes. "He understands that Illinois' unique situation of having the most reactors in the U.S. also places the largest degree of risk from a nuclear accident in his backyard. He intends to do something about that," Kraft said.
Illinois gets ~50-55% of its electricity from nuclear power. It is the most nuclear-reliant state in the U.S., with 14 nuclear reactors within its border. Four Exelon reactors in Illinois are older versions and the same design as the reactors that blew up and melted down at the Fukushima Daiichi reactor site in Japan.
"Because we've allowed Exelon (formerly ComEd) to dominate state energy politics and paint us into a nuclear dependency corner, it will take a lot of planning to phase out nuclear power here in Illinois. But, if the 4th largest economy in the world -- Germany -- can decide to make plans to eliminate its reactors by 2020, what is Illinois waiting for, our own Fukushima at Dresden or Quad Cities?" Kraft asks.
"Can we do it? To borrow a phrase from a local hometowner, 'Yes, we CAN!' The sooner we start, the safer Illinois will be," says Kraft.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Neis
• Dave
• Kraft
• Rainforest
• Action
• Network
• Chicago
• Ranchicago
• Nuclear
• protest
• Politics
• Protesting

[Katazka]

@RayDandy No, I dont work in a power plant. But you dont have to be a rocket scientist to know that nuclear fuel is the cleanest fuel we have, it produces zero emissions, and is completely sustainable as we create the uranium ourselves. Fact is that every other source of energy we have will not sustain our growing population. By 2050, there is expected to be 9 billion people on Earth. Sustainable fuels only power around 10% of 6 billion people. Other fuels are running out. The Future is nuclear.

[RayDandy]

@Katazka do you have any expertise in nuclear power?

[Katazka]

lol i love how uninformed most of these protestors claim to be. It makes me laugh.

[8Michael12]

Please see. theyfly:

ATOMIC ENERGY: HUMAN INSANITY KNOWS NO LIMITS

POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC SOLAR ACTIVIT