Stop the Nuclear Power Hustle Oppose the Senate Energy Bill
Contacts:
Erich Pica 202 222-0739
Michael Mariotte, 202 328-0002, Nuclear Information and Resource Service
Washington D.C. – As the Senate prepares to begin debate on the Bush Energy Plan, Friends of the Earth and the Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) launched a web campaign (www.nukeretro.com) focusing on opposing nuclear power and the broader energy bill before the Congress. The campaign features a comic animation by political cartoonist Mark Fiore set to a retro music score from the 1970s, when nuclear power was in its heyday.
“Americans deserve an energy plan that reduces our dependency on fossil fuels, promotes energy conservation, and improves the environment,” stated Erich Pica, Campaign Director at Friends of the Earth. “The Senate bill fails to address our nation’s energy needs, and instead promotes dirty and dangerous energy sources such as nuclear power.”
Michael Mariotte, executive director of NIRS said, “Nukeretro.com is funny. Pouring billions of taxpayer dollars into support for the wealthy nuclear power industry would not be funny. It would increase risks of nuclear meltdown and terror attack, and would waste money that could be used to promote sustainable energy technologies that can make a real difference in our future. Nuclear power is truly retro power: an obsolete technology of the past.”
As currently drafted, the Senate Energy bill contains more than $4.3 billion for the nuclear power industry. Historically, the nuclear industry has received over $142 billion in federal subsidies while providing only about 20% of our electricity and 6% of our total energy. In addition to these huge subsidies, nuclear power plants pose a terrorist security threat, create toxic waste, and increase the risk of the spread of nuclear weapons.
To see the web campaign, go to http://www.nukeretro.com
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