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Re: [DOEWatch] FIGHT NUCLEAR POWER AS "SOLUTION" TO GLOBAL WARMING: CSD9/CLI...
Radsafe:
Copied below is a "Nuclear Alert" from a consortium of antinuclear groups
concerned that nuclear power plants may get some favorable mention in an
upcoming UN document on implementing the Kyoto Climate Change Protocols. If
you or your organization wish to share your written thoughts on the strong
ncentives for nuclear technologies regarding reducing greenhouse gas
emissions vs. alternate fuel cycles email addresses of the UN contacts are
listed in the "Nuclear Alert" below. In your email, it is important to
mention nuclear electric generation's various other environmental, climatic,
strategic, and economic benefits vs. the claims of its many critics since
this is key to whether nuclear power is judged as acceptable as one of the
options to reduce greenhouse gas production.
It is clear that many so-called "environmental" groups are in danger of being
hoisted on their own petard over their dogmatic opposition to nuclear energy
and cannot face the benefits it offers on climatic issues with any shred of
intellectual honesty. It would be unfortunate if the UN decisionmakers on
this upcoming report hear only from various anti-nuclear groups repeating
unsubstantiated dogma about the shortcomings of nuclear energy. However, time
is of the essence and there are only a few days to get your email views to
the UN contacts specified.
Stewart Farber, MS Public Health [Air Pollution Control]
Public Health Sciences
email: radiumproj@cs.com
===============
In a message dated 11/1/00 4:01:20 AM Eastern Standard Time,
smirnowb@ix.netcom.com writes:
> Fwd: NUCLEAR ALERT: CSD9/CLIMATE CHANGE
> CONVENTION NEGOTIATIONS
>
>
> > >Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2000 13:19:31 -0500
> > >Subject: NUCLEAR ALERT: CSD9/CLIMATE CHANGE CONVENTION NEGOTIATIONS
> > >To: aslater@gracelinks.org, mdatan@ippnw.org, helio@globenet.org
> > >Cc: rajat.chaudhuri@cuts-india.org
> > >From: "deling@igc.org" <deling@igc.org>
> > >
> > >Please forward this alert to others. Feel free to make additions, or
> > >revise as needed. Thanks.
> > >
> > >1. BY NOVEMBER 7, PLEASE MAKE A SUBMISSION FROM YOUR ORGANIZATION TO THE
> UN
> > >SECRETARIAT'S DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (DESA) FOR THE
> > >SECRETARY-GENERAL'S REPORTS ON ENERGY FOR THE 9TH SESSION OF THE UN
> > >COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
> > >
> > >2. BY NOVEMBER 13, AND DURING THE NEGOTATIONS IN THE HAGUE FROM NOVEMBER
> > >13-24, PLEASE JOIN IN THE EFFORT AGAINST NUCLEAR BEING INCLUDED IN
> > >MECHANISMS TO IMPLEMENT THE KYOTO PROTOCOL ON CLIMATE CHANGE, SUCH AS
> CLEAN
> > >DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM (CDM) OR JOINT IMPLEMENTATION (JI) PROGRAMS
> > >
> > >BACKGROUND INFO:
> > >In 1997, the UN General Assembly Special Session to Review the
> > >Implementation of Agenda 21 (Earth Summit II) mandated that the UN
> > >Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD, charged with overseeing the
> > >implementation of Agenda 21 since Rio in 1992) should deal with energy,
> > >transport and atmosphere as the sectoral and economic issues for CSD9 in
> > >April 2001. Because energy has always been such a controversial issue
> (it
> > >was the last issue to be decided on at Earth Summit II), the European
> Union
> > >wanted a FOUR YEAR preparatory period for CSD9, while the oil countries
> > >wanted a two month period. The compromise was a two year period, which,
> > >for a number of reasons, has ended up being essentially a 15-month
> period,
> > >and we are in the midst of that now. Neither in Agenda 21, nor in the
> > >outcome document of Earth Summit II, was nuclear energy ever mentioned
as
> a
> > >possible form of sustainable energy.
> > >
> > >Unfortunately, from the end of last year and this year, the world has
> been
> > >hearing a lot about nuclear as a possible form of "sustainable" energy.
> > >Nuclear has been cited at the various Framework Convention on Climate
> > >Change negotiations on means of implementing the Kyoto Protocol, in the
> > >World Energy Assessment (done by UNDP in conjunction with, among others,
> > >the World Energy Council), and in the Secretary-General's Report for and
> > >during the first meeting in March 2000 of the Intergovernmental Group of
> > >Experts on Energy and Sustainable Development (IGEESD) set up by the CSD
> as
> > >part of the preparatory process for CSD9. NGOs tried to have nuclear
> > >deleted altogether from the outcome documents of IGEESD and CSD8 in
> April,
> > >which approved the IGEESD report. But we were only able to achieve
> > >language stating that nuclear would need to meet various conditions
> before
> > >it could be treated as a sustainable form of energy. The relevant text
> of
> > >the Report (UN Document E/CN.17/2000/12, dated 27 March 2000) reads as
> > >follows, under "Key issues for consideration at the ninth session of the
> > >Commission on Sustainable Development":
> > >
> > >"Nuclear energy technologies
> > >
> > >28. Nuclear energy will continue to contribute to the
> > >overall energy mix. It is ncessary, however that
> > >acceptable responses be found to such concerns as
> > >reactor safety, radioactive waste management,
> > >proliferation of fissile material and life cycle cost."
> > >
> > >It is clear that there is now a worldwide effort among certain
> > >industrialized countries with nuclear industries (Canada, U.S., maybe
> > >France, UK, Russia) to push for a nuclear energy renaissance,
> particularly
> > >for these countries to sell nuclear technologies to developing
countries.
> > >They are being assisted by the collaboration of governments of certain
> > >oil/coal producing countries, that are only too happy to cooperate in
> > >diverting the world's attention away from the production and consumption
> of
> > >unsustainable fossil fuels.
> > >
> > >Besides the attempt to obtain at the CSD some imprimatur of
> > >"sustainability" for nuclear, the same countries noted above are working
> at
> > >the Climate Change Convention negotiations to get nuclear recognized as
a
> > >"Clean Development Mechanism" of sorts.
> > >
> > >WHAT YOUR ORGANISATION CAN DO:
> > >
> > >1. By November 7: Prepare an input concerning nuclear energy, clearly
> > >specifying that it is an input to the "Report of the Secretary General
on
> > >Energy for Sustainable Development: Strategies and Actions" for CSD9, as
> > >well as for any background papers on the subject of energy for CSD9.
> The
> > >input should be from your organisation, in written form, and be about 5
> > >pages. In your organisation's submission, it would be helpful to
mention
> > >the vast subsidies that go to nuclear energy, and it's high real cost
> just
> > >in economic terms, to say nothing about health, safety, and
> environomental
> > >concerns. Email your input to Mr. K. N. Mak of the UN Department of
> > >Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), and cc: to other members of the
> Energy
> > >Group in DESA as well as the Major Groups Coordinator, Ms. Zeyra
> > >Aydin-Sipos, and bcc:, or cc: it separately, to the co-chairs of the NGO
> > >Energy & Climate Change Caucus, Rajat Chaudhuri and Deling Wang. Try
to
> > >do this by November 3 if possible or no later than November 7. Email
> > >addresses are as follows:
> > >
> > >To: mak@un.org
> > >cc: gururaja@un.org, shane@un.org, shearer@un.org, aydin@un.org
> > >bcc: rajat.chaudhuri@cuts-india.org, deling@igc.org
> > >
> > >2. By November 13: Concerning the Framework Convention on Climate
Change
> > >and Implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, use essentially the same
> written
> > >input, but, of course, re-word it as appropriate. Then send to your
> > >country's President or Prime Minister, as well as Foreign Ministers
> > >(Secretary of State in the U.S.). A copy to the Environment Minister
(or
> > >EPA Administrator) would be nice, but essentially the government people
> > >controlling international decisions on energy-related issues are
> > >Presidents, Prime Ministers and high level Foreign Ministry officials.
> > >Send copies by email to Climate Action Network, and the Climate Change
> > >coordinators at organizations like Greenpeace International and Friends
> of
> > >the Earth International (go to their websites for details).
> > >
> > >Best wishes, and many thanks for your efforts.
> > >
> >
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