30 September 2016

North Lincolnshire Green Party is disappointed that the government is to give the green light to a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset, completely dismissing expert advice that the project is a huge risk to the environment and a threat to security. North Lincolnshire Green Party is concerned that giving this project the go ahead will open up the possibility of nuclear power station application being submitted to North Lincolnshire Council, moving North Lincolnshire further away from a clean, safe and sustainable future. There are plenty of risks already in North Lincolnshire around existing industry. The risk of a nuclear accident is something we don’t need. There is no doubt that North Lincolnshire would greatly benefit from increased investment in renewables and in particular, further investment in offshore wind turbines using steel made in Scunthorpe, not imported Chinese steel.

The Government is trying to confuse the public into thinking the lights would go out without nuclear, when in actual fact nuclear is taking resources away from cleaner, greener, safer and cheaper energy that could keep the lights on and our emissions down. For years’ experts have been saying that the Hinkley project is technically flawed, a huge risk to the environment and a threat to security. It was hoped that when the Prime Minister called for a review, she would arrive at the same conclusion.

In a desperate attempt to show that Britain is open for trade, the government is handing over our energy infrastructure to China. Having already insulted our European partners, the government can’t possibly risk offending the Chinese. 

Laura Atkin, Coordinator for North Lincolnshire Green Party said “The main rhetoric repeated by the Leave campaigners was ‘take back control’. By handing over our energy infrastructure, we are doing the exact opposite. Taking back control would come from a renewable energy revolution – providing cheaper and greener electricity, more energy security and generating thousands more jobs than nuclear power. We need to be handing back power to local communities by investing in community owned renewables, taking power away from foreign corporations and governments.  Many other Countries are already taking this path, producing up to half of their energy from renewable sources. Britain needs to catch up! Due to our government’s serious lack of investment, we are miles behind. Our government needs to invest more in renewables and listen to the experts. Dirty nuclear energy is diverting valuable attention and investment away from sustainable energy solutions, plus it will leave a legacy of waste which has to be safely stored for centuries. The UK’S projected nuclear costs are the highest in the world, spending up to three times more than any other European Country. To build a zero-carbon Britain, our Government must stop building inefficient, dangerous and expensive nuclear power stations, phase out existing power stations and invest in genuine renewable energy sources. The UK has huge renewable potential but with this current government and an opposition only by name, there is a lack of political will.”

Notes

Useful Links:

Green Party Energy Policies:  https://policy.greenparty.org.uk/ey.html

‘Government give Hinkley C project the Green light’ article: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/15/hinkley-point-c-nuclear-power-station-gets-go-ahead

 

 

 

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