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Call on Merkel to end nuclear power
By Francis Althoff and Felix Ruwe - 06.10.2006 18:09
Anti-nuclear activists at two German locations where waste is dumped have demanded that Chancellor Angela Merkel set a course for immediately abandoning nuclear power generation when she hosts an energy summit on Monday.
Media release 06.10.06
Energy summit with Merkel -
Nuclear power opponents demand energy efficiency and renewable energies instead of atomic power!
In a joint media release the anti-nuclear initiatives in the Wendland (near Hanover) and Münsterland (near Münster) demand that Federal Chancellor Merkel set the course for immediate abandonment of atomic power generation at an energy summit on Monday. "Atomic power is a dangerous energy of yesterday. It is not controllable and the disposal of the atomic waste is totally unsolved,” says Francis Althoff of the BI Lüchow-Dannenberg (see contact below). "The use of new atomic power stations only shifts the energy problems by a few years. Just like those of coal and gas, uranium reserves are limited and only available abroad,” added Felix Ruwe of the BI "Kein Atommüll in Ahaus” (see contact below).
The initiatives criticise the exit by industry from the nuclear consensus and the thoughtless advocacy of atomic power by several politicians. Atomic power is no alternative to the climate-damaging fossil energy sources. But coming generations will have to pay the financial and health bill for the storage of atomic waste which will need to be safe for at least one million years because its half-life period is extremely high.
"Even after decades of atomic waste production no safe disposal is in prospect worldwide. The only sensible response to that can be the immediate shutdown of the atomic plants to avoid more waste being produced,” the spokesman of the civic action groups demand.
From the federal government and the energy summit we expect the course to be set for a long-term and responsible energy policy. This can only mean absolutely prioritising expansion of the renewable energies. We need an energy policy that is not oriented to the short-term profit interests of a few energy giants but opens a sustainable perspective for the 21st century and for following generations.
Indispensable to this is the frugal use of energy. Presently a large proportion of electric energy is uselessly wasted! If, for example, the energy summit were to prepare a decision making it mandatory for every grid-powered appliance to have a grid switch effecting 100% separation from the grid, more atomic power stations could be switched off immediately! "The so-called stand-by operation of many appliances of the PC industry and entertainment electronics is totally superfluous,” says Felix Ruwe. "No appliance needs to lose its system data like time, date, frequencies, etc. without constant grid supply.” In these industries rank growth of energy wastage has spread which if it were responsibly regulated by politicians would make the operation of two nuclear power stations superfluous.
"Energy efficiency must not degrade to a political slogan but must be implemented meaningfully for the wellbeing of human beings and the environment,” says Francis Althoff.
The spokesmen of the two civic initiatives criticise most sharply that after the worst assumable disaster was almost happened in the Swedish reactor at Forsmark, the Brunsbüttel nuclear power station (in north Germany, which is equipped with a similarly dangerous emergency power system, has still not been switched off, and announce a “hot autumn”. Mobilisation is ongoing for demonstrations on 4 November for closure of the old nukes Biblis and Brunsbüttel. On 11 November there will be a start-up rally in Gorleben “against the superfluous Castor (waste) transports, which de facto make the leaky Gorleben salt deposit more likely as the nation’s atomic toilet, despite political statements
that alternative locations are allegedly being sought."
Contacts: Francis Althoff (BIU Lüchow-Dannenberg, Tel.
05843/986789) Felix Ruwe (BI Ahaus, Tel. 02561/6577)
Bürgerinitiative Umweltschutz Lüchow Dannenberg
Drawehner Str. 3 29439 Lüchow
Tel: 05841-4684 Fax: 3197
Media spokesman: Francis Althoff 05843 986789
 bi-presse@t-online.de
www.bi-luechow-dannenberg.de
Bürgerinitiative "Kein Atommüll in Ahaus" e.V.
Bahnhofstr. 51 48683 Ahaus Postfach 1165 48661 Ahaus Tel.: 02561
961791 FAX: 961792 INFOLINE: 961799
Spokesman: Felix Ruwe 02561 6577
mail@bi-ahaus.de
Translated by Diet Simon
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