Politicians, military personnel and celebrities will come together today to highlight why replacing the Trident missile system is a dangerous and expensive distraction from the real threat facing our planet - climate change.
Ken Livingstone, Annie Lennox, Anita and Gordon Roddick, Bianca Jagger, Tony Robinson and Major General Sir Patrick Cordingly will be among those on Greenpeace's Arctic Sunrise ship to explain why they don't want the UK to spend up to £76bn on outdated, unnecessary and dangerous weapons of mass destruction.
Adding to the pressure on the government, a new report released by Greenpeace today shows that the real cost of replacing Trident is more than £76 billion, not the £15 to £20 billion figure that government repeatedly states. That's equivalent to £4500 per British family, or about 40 per cent of Ministry of Defence conventional weapons purchases.
Greenpeace also demonstrates that spending the same amount on tackling climate change could reduce the UK's carbon emissions by over 12 per cent, as well as improving our long term energy security.
The event takes place on the eve of a new report from the all party Defence Select Committee which is expected to criticise the government for once again failing to properly consult on an issue of critical national importance. Parliament will vote on the issue on Wednesday 14th March.
The Greenpeace ship will be docked on the Thames in London and has recently returned from an action at the Faslane nuclear base in Scotland, where it blockaded the port for an entire day in protest at the UK government's rush to a new generation of nuclear weapons. The Sunrise was seized by the government and its crew imprisoned for three days, before finally being released and only just making it to London for tonight's event. The Greenpeace ship will be passing under Tower bridge at 1615.
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said:
"Thirty-six years after Britain signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it is incredible that the government is even considering spending £76 billion on a new generation of nuclear weapons. The great challenge of the twenty first century will be to prevent catastrophic climate change and it is on this that Britain should be giving a clear lead. Rather than spending tens of billions of pounds on new weapons of mass destruction - which could be better spent on schools, hospitals and public transport - Britain should demonstrate real world leadership by investing in a radical programme to cut carbon emissions."
NOTE TO EDITORS:
The event will take place at 1700 near HMS Belfast, London. Journalists wishing to attend should contact the Greenpeace press office on 0207 865 8255 or 07801 212972 -- places are strictly limited. For a copy of the full report visit http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/trident-replacement-costs.
