Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader Says No To Nukes

[Guest Nader for President]

"No Nukes." It was the battle cry in a successful anti-nuclear movement Ralph Nader led in the 1970s.

 

Now, nuclear power is resurgent.

 

Why?

 

Because politicians like Sens. McCain, Obama and Clinton all want to keep nuclear power on the table.

 

All three support legislation that would provide government taxpayer subsidies and guarantees to power companies to build nuclear power plants.

 

Nader/Gonzalez take nuclear power off the table.

 

Nader/Gonzalez oppose government subsidies and guarantees to the nuclear industry.

The billions are far safer and better spent supporting energy efficiency and solar energy projects than building these nuclear national security risk boondoggles.

 

Tomorrow (Thursday, May 29, 2008, 12 noon) Ralph Nader and the Nader/Gonzalez team will be outside the nuclear power lobby's headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C. to call for a halt to the head-long rush to nuclear power.

Once again, we will be saying loud and clear - No Nukes.

 

Why?

 

One. There's no safe place to put the waste. The waste from nuclear power plants will be toxic to humans for several hundred thousand years. Where will it go? Not Nevada. Any other ideas?

 

Two. Accidents. Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Browns Ferry, Fermi.

 

Three. National security. Nuclear reactors present an attractive target for terrorists.

 

Four. Costs. The average nuclear power plant will cost a average of $10 billion to $18 billion - before the inevitable cost overruns - guaranteed by the taxpayers. Because of safety, security and environmental concerns, the industry can't find investors to build them, so it is turning to Washington for corporate welfare in the form of subsidies, guarantees and insurance. As the Nuclear Energy Institute puts it "100 percent loan coverage [by taxpayers] is essential ... because the capital markets are unwilling, now and for the foreseeable future, to provide the financing necessary" for new nuclear power plants.

 

Four strikes and you're out.

 

McCain/Clinton/Obama want to keep nuclear power on the table and support legislation to subsidize the building of nuclear power plants.

 

Nader/Gonzalez would keep nuclear power off the table, oppose subsidies, and would instead invest to transform our centralized fossil fuel economy into a decentralized solar energy and energy conservation economy.

Once again, the choice is as clear as night and day.

 

Bring on the sun.

 

Stop the waste.