Remember Fukushima March 2013

Remember
It has been two years since the tsunami and consequent nuclear disaster in Japan. The effects are still being felt by the local populations who have been unable to leave, and in the wider environment.
Technicians continue to struggle to get the melted down cores under control, and prevent stored waste on site from further contaminating the area.

Japanese Against Nuclear, Kick Nuclear and CND are organising a series of events to show solidarity with the people of Japan. And to say No to nuclear power internationally. Enough is enough.
Saturday 9th March: 12noon, march from Hyde Park corner, 2.30pm rally at Old Palace Yard
Monday 11th March: 5.30-6.30pm candlelit vigil outside the Japanese Embassy. 7.30-9.30pm Public meeting in the House of Commons, (committee room 8).

For those who like to dress up, (we know you do) the theme is sunflowers. These are being planted to help de-contaminate the radioactive caesium from the soil around Fukushima prefecture. They are a symbol of hope and recovery.
Further details are available at http://www.fukushima2013.com/
For buses from the southwest, see http://southwestagainstnuclear.wordpress.com/category/action/

Please join us if you can. This is a key moment in the attempt to develop new nuclear in the UK, as we await the decision from the Planning Inspectorate on March 19th about permission to build Hinkley C.

No Money
Centrica's confirmation recently that they will not be investing further in nuclear means that there are no UK companies involved.
EdF's CEO Henri Proglio has  said  the  company  would  walk  away  from  its  plans  for  new  UK   reactors  if  the  government  does  not  deliver  an  adequate  guaranteed  price  for  the  power   generated  through  the  planned  contract  for  difference  mechanism. Locking us in to paying around £100/MWh, and reducing the opportunities to invest in renewable energy supplies. This would be a contradiction of the coalition's promise that the taxpayer would not be liable to shore up this economically un-viable industry.
“The perception that fossil fuels are cheap and renewables are expensive is now out of date”, said Michael Liebreich, chief executive of Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “The fact that wind power is now cheaper than coal and gas in a country with some of the world’s best fossil fuel resources shows that clean energy is a game changer which promises to turn the economics of power systems on its head,”

No Dump
Cumbria County Council has rejected the proposed Geological Storage Facility, (GSF or 'big hole') in the Lake District. Meaning there is still no safe long term storage solution for radioactive waste on the horizon. And the deteriorating storage conditions at Sellafield pose an increasing risk, despite the £1.5 Billion of public money spent on it annually.
Radiation Free Lakeland request that people write to Ed Davey in support of Cumbria's decision, and ask him to resist calls for a further decision making process from Jamie Reed MP,(ex-BNFL spokes person).

No Way!
Japanese firm Hitachi has responded to the end of nuclear developments in Japan by investing in new nuclear reactors in Oldbury and Wylfa. It has submitted its plans to the Office for Nuclear Regulation for approval of an Advanced Boiling Water Reactor. This process will take at least 4 years.

For up to the minute news and information see websites: no2nuclearpower, kick nuclear, boycott EdF, SWAN