Greenpeace climbers scupper Blair's nuclear announcement
Greenpeace today launched the fight back against a new nuclear era in the UK - by preventing Tony Blair's planned pro nuclear speech at the CBI annual conference from going ahead.
Two Greenpeace climbers scuppered the PM's speech by scaling the ceiling above the speakers podium holding banners saying 'nuclear - wrong answer' and then dropping down 'radioactive' confetti.
The speech has been widely promoted by the PM's spin doctors as being a vehicle for announcing a further energy review - and for Blair to indicate his personal support for more nuclear power stations being built across the UK.
Stephen Tindale Director of Greenpeace UK said, "Today Blair is trying to launch a new nuclear age and we are here to stop him. Nuclear power is not the answer to climate change - it's costly, dangerous and a terrorist target."
"Just three years ago Blair conducted the biggest energy review in 60 years - which concluded renewable energy and energy efficiency, not nuclear, is the way forward. Today's new review is simply a smokescreen for pushing his new-found enthusiasm for nuclear power. It's like Iraq all over again Blair makes his mind up then tries to spin his decision to the British people."
"The real solution to climate change and energy security is a mix of efficient, safe and clean energy technologies like wind, wave, and solar. Plus we need to stop wasting energy by generating it closer to where it is consumed - Woking Council have done this and slashed their CO2 emissions by nearly 80%."
He concluded, "Nuclear power is simply a dangerous red herring in this debate. Even if the UK replaced all 23 of its operating reactors, we would only save 10% of our carbon emissions. In contrast the £56 billion of tax-payers money being used to fund the clean up of the UK's current nuclear sites could buy and install enough wind turbines to meet 20% of the UK's electricity needs."
For more information contact: Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.
Download the briefing: 2005 Energy Review - Blair sinks renewables and spins nuclear
