SENATE CLIMATE BILL TO BE UNVEILED SOON

EARLY REPORTS ARE THAT IT WILL BE A BONANZA FOR GIANT NUCLEAR COMPANIES

ACT NOW: SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE TO EVERY SENATOR; NO NUCLEAR POWER IN THE CLIMATE BILL!

April 8, 2010

Published reports indicate that Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsay Graham (R-SC) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) will unveil their new climate bill not long after their Spring recess ends April 12–probably the week of April 19. And these published reports also indicate that the bill will be larded with taxpayer giveaways to the nuclear power industry. In other words, taxpayers would be subsidizing giant companies like General Electric, NRG Energy, Electricite de France, Exelon, Areva, Westinghouse and more.

We need to send a clear message to every Senator, with as many of your voices as possible: No Nuclear Power in the Climate Bill. Send your message here today.

Wasting taxpayer money on nuclear power–which is both ineffective at reducing carbon emissions (its carbon footprint is 6 times greater than wind power for the same amount of electricity, 2-3 times greater than solar, and far higher than energy efficiency programs) and remains the most dangerous and expensive electricity source available–is no way to fight climate change. In fact, it would be counterproductive.

We need to begin making our case now, before the climate bill is introduced. But we will also need to take more actions once it is introduced. NIRS will be issuing a press statement when we finally see the language of the bill and we’ll also be setting up a letters to the editor campaign and new Senate actions. We will keep you posted.

At this point, we don’t know if a climate bill of any kind can pass the Senate. There is going to be a lot of backroom activity and a lot of pressure to pass a bill. We can’t rely on climate change deniers to do our work for us and kill a bad climate bill. We want a strong climate bill–but it can’t include corporate bailouts like tens of billions of your taxpayer dollars for nuclear power and coal along with expanded offshore oil drilling! If that’s the price of a “climate” bill–no thanks.

It’s going to be more important than ever for us all to do as much outreach and mobilization as we can. Please ask your family members, friends, colleagues, and members of your organizational lists to weigh in with their Senators too. Just send them to this address:http://org2. democracyinactio n.org/o/5502/ p/dia/action/ public/?action_ KEY=2255

The nuclear industry has spent more than $650 million over the past decade to get to this point. Just today, Mother Jones reported that my counterpart at the Nuclear Energy Institute is paid more than $3 million a year–nearly 6 times our entire annual budget! It’s going to take all of us, working and acting together and reaching out to as many people as possible, to counter that kind of influence. 

We thank everyone who has contributed in recent weeks to Michael Mariotte’s 25th anniversary outreach and mobilization fund. You’ve enabled us to reach hundreds of thousands of people with our message. But we can’t let up now. Please make a tax-deductible donation–of whatever size you can, whether it be $5 or $500–to this fund today.

Again, let’s stop the climate bill from becoming just another taxpayer gift to huge energy companies! Send your letter to your Senators here and tell them to reject nuclear power in a climate bill, and instead to come up with real climate solutions.

Thank you for all you do.

Michael Mariotte, Executive Director, Nuclear Information and Resource Service

nirsnet@nirs. org , www.nirs.org

Alice Slater, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, NY, 446 E. 86 St., New York , NY 10028

212-744-2005, 646-238-9000( cell), aslater@rcn. com, www.wagingpeace. org