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Greenpeace: “The Minister has no clothes! Nuclear is a sham!”

April 25, 2008
25 April 2008, Ankara- Greenpeace activists climbed to the roof of the Energy Minstery and gave a message : “The Minister has no clothes! Nuclear is a sham!”

25 April 2008, Ankara- Greenpeace activists climbed to the roof of the Energy Minstery and gave a message : “The Minister has no clothes! Nuclear is a sham!”

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Ankara, Turkey — “The Minister has no clothes! Nuclear is a sham!” This morning, Greenpeace gave this message to the Energy Minister by climbing up to the Energy Ministry building. The demonstration was in protest at the Energy Minister’s plans for spending billions of dollars to build dangerous nuclear power stations in Turkey.

 

Greenpeace adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale:

Once upon a time there was a Turkish Minister of energy who cared so much about big and heavy industries and so he hired a group of nuclear swindlers from countries far and wide and indeed his own Turkey.  These swindlers promised him the finest  nuclear electricity from the most beautiful nuclear power plant. This plant, they tell him, is invisible to anyone who was either stupid or not fit for his position. The Minister is so greedy and so nervous about being able to see the plant himself that he sends his counselors to view it and he promises money from his peoples’ own pocket. The counselors see nothing and yet are full of praise for the plant. When the swindlers report a nuclear power plant has been fashioned, the Minister allows himself to be dressed in their creation for a procession through the country. During the procession, many people see nothing but keep quiet, afraid of being called stupid. Then, a small child cries out, "But he has nothing on, he is naked!" The people realize that the child is telling the truth and begin laughing. The Minister, however, holds his head high and continues the procession. Meanwhile, the swindlers run away, and peoples’ money is already spent

 

Greenpeace activisit were on the roof of Energy Ministery building! They hang a banner with a simple message :  “The Minister has no clothes! Nuclear is a sham!”

"Like the vain Emperor in the famous Christian Andersen fairy tale who paraded himself naked in front of his people having been persuaded by scheming counselors of the finesse of a suit of clothes, the Minister is parading a nuclear sham to the Turkish government and people” said Greenpeace Mediterranean Executive Director Dr. Uygar Ozesmi.

“Plans for nuclear power plants have been cancelled three times in the past because it was too expensive and today costs are even higher.  The Minister plans to spend billions of hard earned Turkish lira on a dirty and dangerous technology that cannot even deliver what it promises” added Ozesmi.

The climbers and Greenpeace volunteers opened many banners on the building as well as in the front. Later, they delivered a petition callin on the minister to stop the nuclear plans. 9 of them have been taken under custody.   

With this action Greenpeace also started a cyberaction over its web-site  greenpeace.org.tr with the same petition. The cyberaction is calling all people to point out the truth and tell the Minister that nuclear power is a sham.

The only nuclear plant currently being build in the western world is in Finland where the project is already 2 years behind the schedule and 1,5 billion Euros over budget.  

Greenpeace warns planning to spend billions of dollars for nuclear power capacity undermines real energy solutions – this money would be better spent on in clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency programmes.   However, the Turkish government favours giving financial concessions to the  nuclear industry.

The minister has talked a lot about the benefits of renewable energies such as wind and solar but he has yet to take any real action.

 

 

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