Feature story - October 13, 2005
Greenpeace activists inflated a giant turkey with a banner reading ‘No Nukes’ in front of Queen’s Park on Friday, October 14th. Other activists distributed post cards petitioning the McGuinty government to develop green power instead of nuclear power. Greenpeace is challenging the McGuinty government for failing to live up to its promise to have an open public debate on nuclear power in Ontario.
Last May, former Ontario Energy Minister Dwight Duncan promised
that there would be an "open and public debate" on the future of
nuclear power in the province. Instead of a debate, the McGuinty
government asked the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) to deliver a 20
year plan for power in Ontario by December 2005. In September,
Premier McGuinty said he would proceed with the construction of new
nuclear stations if the OPA recommends it.
"Nuclear power is a turkey. It's dirty, dangerous, expensive and
cannot be built fast enough to meet our energy needs over the next
decade," said Shawn-Patrick Stensil, Greenpeace Energy Campaigner.
"The McGuinty government should stick to its word and openly debate
all of Ontario's energy options. They are afraid to do so, because
nuclear power would fail the test of public scrutiny."
Ontario's last long-term electricity plan (the Demand/Supply
Plan, or DSP) was prepared 15 years ago in 1989, and was subject to
the largest environmental assessment in Canadian history. The plan,
which called for up to 15 new nuclear reactors, was abandoned when
public opposition intensified and electricity demand failed to
materialize. No new nuclear plants have been ordered in Canada or
the United States since 1973.
Two years into its mandate, the McGuinty government has failed
to develop an economically and environmentally sustainable plan
that will actually meet our energy needs over the next decade. Any
new nuclear plants would take at least ten years to build, and
rebuilding old nuclear plants is too expensive and unreliable.
"Before she supports nuclear power, the new energy minister,
Donna Cansfield, should answer the question 'why not conservation
and renewable energy?'. We need energy options that are fast, cheap
and reliable." said Stensil.
Worldwide, renewable energy and Combined Heat and Power plants
are leaving nuclear power in the dust. Germany is installing 2000
MW of wind power a year and Spain installed 1,500 MW last year.
Both countries also have large solar energy programs. Polling by
Greenpeace shows that renewable energy has the overwhelming support
of Ontarians.