Push for No New Nukes
Nuclear power is neither safe nor clean. There is no such thing as a "safe" dose of radiation and just because nuclear pollution is invisible doesn't mean it's "clean."
Take action right now and tell the President that taxpayers should not take on the risk of building new nuclear plants.
If a meltdown were to occur, the accident could kill and injure tens of thousands of people, leaving large regions uninhabitable. And, more than 50 years after splitting the first atom, science has yet to devise a method for adequately handling long lived radioactive wastes.
For years nuclear plants have been leaking radioactive waste from underground pipes and radioactive waste pools into the ground water at sites across the nation.
In addition to being extremely dangerous, the continued greenwashing of nuclear power from industry-backed lobbyists diverts investments away from clean, renewable sources of energy. In contrast to nuclear power, renewable energy is both clean and safe. Technically accessible renewable energy sources are capable of producing six times more energy than current global demand.
In order to save the future of our planet, we must continue to fight the expansion of nuclear power and instead push for clean, renewable sources of energy. Over the next three years Greenpeace will continue to:
1. Debunk the myth that nuclear provides a “green” source of electricity and detail the threats posed by nuclear reactors and the radioactive wastes they produce.
2. Expose the abysmal economics of new nuclear power.
3. Advocate for the permanent closure of the old, leaky Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in 2012.
By working together to spread the truth, we can have a brighter, safer future.
Media Contact:
David Pomerantz (San Francisco)
914-584-9054
No New Nukes
If the nuclear industry and Wall Street financiers are unwilling to assume the economic risk of constructing new nuclear power plants, why should the American taxpayer?
The Department of Energy compared nuclear construction cost estimates to the actual final costs for 75 reactors. The original cost estimate was $45 billion. The actual cost was $145 billion! Forbes magazine recognized that this "failure of the U.S. nuclear power program ranks as the largest managerial disaster in business history, a disaster of monumental scale." Read more
Disarmament
The Cold War may be over, but this does not mean nuclear weapons have disappeared. Far from it: There are almost 36,000 nuclear weapons in the world, thousands on hair-trigger alert, with more than a third of them ready to launch at a moment's notice, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Over 400 reactors in warships and nuclear submarines are still circling the globe. Read more
Safety and Security
From the dawn of the nuclear age, it has been recognized that nuclear power and nuclear weapons are inextricably linked. The spread of nuclear technology and ultimately nuclear weapons undermines our national security and the security of the planet. Add to that the very real risks of nuclear meltdown. If a meltdown were to occur, the accident could kill and injure tens of thousands of people, leaving large regions uninhabitable. Read more
Nuclear Reports
A breakdown of nuclear energy related reports, publications, images and news. Read more
Chernobyl Anniversary
The Chernobyl catastrophe released 100 times more radiation than the atom bombs dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Yet many seem to just dismiss the accident as a part of history and forget what large doses of radiation actually do to human lives. The effects of Chernobyl touched millions of people and thousands still endure very visible and painful effects. Read more
Nuclear Victories
Greenpeace has been shouting about nuclear dangers for nearly forty years, beginning on September 15, 1971, when the Greenpeace founders protested U.S. nuclear testing. Since then we have campaigned against both nuclear weapons and nuclear power by bearing witness in test zones, supplying scientific research and by conducting direct non-violent actions to call attention to the problem. Read more