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Anti-nuclear movement

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The anti-nuclear movement arose out of a concern of the use of nuclear technologies. This movement manifests various concerns:

Many people who are anti-nuclear, are against the use of nuclear power for electricity generation, since they think nuclear power is inherently dangerous. They consider the risk of a nuclear accident unacceptable and generally believe that radioactive waste cannot be safely disposed of safely. Many also see uranium mining and nuclear reprocessing as unacceptable, because of perceived and real environmental consequences of these activities, as well as because of the strong link between nuclear power and nuclear weapons.

As a corollary to opposition to nuclear power, many people in the anti-nuclear movement support renewable energy technologies as a safer, cleaner way of producing electricity.

Contents

[edit] 1 Australia

Australia has no nuclear power stations and the current Rudd Labor government is opposed to nuclear power for Australia.[1][2] However, Australia does have a small research reactor (OPAL) in Sydney, and it does export uranium. Australia has 40% of the world's known uranium deposits as well as similar deposits of the other potential fission reactor fuel thorium, and sells uranium to members of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.[3]

Uranium mining and export and nuclear issues have often been the subject of public debate, and the anti-nuclear movement in Australia has a long history. Its origins date back to the 1972–73 debate over French nuclear testing in the Pacific, which mobilised several groups, and the 1976–77 debate about uranium mining in Australia.[4]

[edit] 2 France

In the 1970s, an anti-nuclear movement in France, consisting of citizens' groups and political action committees, emerged. There were many large anti-nuclear protests and demonstrations. More recently, targeted campaigns have been conducted, mainly by Greenpeace, and Sortir du nucléaire (France) has called for an official safety inspection of Areva facilities.

[edit] 3 Germany

The anti-nuclear movement in Germany has a long history dating back to the early 1970s, when large demonstrations prevented the construction of a nuclear plant at Wyhl. Anti-nuclear success at Wyhl inspired nuclear opposition throughout Germany, in other parts of Europe, and in North America.

[edit] 4 United Kingdom

In January 2008 the UK government announced plans to build new nuclear power stations, and the anti-nuclear movement in the United Kingdom has voiced concerns. There are also public concerns about the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Many different groups and individuals have been involved in demonstrations and protests over the years.

[edit] 5 United States

For many years the anti-nuclear movement in the United States succeeded in delaying or halting commitments to build some new nuclear plants.[5][6][7] Anti-nuclear campaigns that captured national public attention in the 1970s involved the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Seabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant, Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant, and Three Mile Island.[6] More recent targeted campaigning has related to the Indian Point Energy Center, Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station,[8] Pilgrim Nuclear Generating Station,[9] Salem Nuclear Power Plant,[10] Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant,[11][12] Idaho National Laboratory,[13] proposed Yucca Mountain waste repository,[14][15] the Hanford Site,[16] the Nevada Test Site,[17] Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory,[18][19] and transportation of nuclear waste from the Los Alamos National Laboratory.[20] Many different groups have been involved in various protests and demonstrations over the years.

More than forty anti-nuclear groups are operating, or have operated, in the United States. These include: Abalone Alliance, Clamshell Alliance, Greenpeace USA, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, Musicians United for Safe Energy, Nevada Desert Experience, Nuclear Control Institute, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Public Citizen Energy Program, Shad Alliance, and the Sierra Club.

Many well-known scientists and engineers have expressed reservations about nuclear power. These people include: Barry Commoner, S. David Freeman, John Gofman, Amory Lovins, Arjun Makhijani, Gregory Minor and Joseph Romm.

[edit] 6 Anti-nuclear renaissance

During a weekend in October 2008, some 15,000 people disrupted the transport of radioactive nuclear waste from France to a dump in Germany. This was one of the largest such protests in many years and, according to Der Spiegel, it signals a revival of the anti-nuclear movement in Germany.[21][22][23] Also in 2008, there have been protests about, and criticism of, several new nuclear reactor proposals in the United States.[24][25][26][27]

[edit] 7 References

  1. ↑ Support for N-power falls The Australian, 30 December 2006. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
  2. ↑ Rudd romps to historic win The Age, 25 November 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
  3. ↑ China to buy Australian uranium BBC News, 3 April 2006. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
  4. ↑ Australia's anti-nuclear movement: a short history Green Left Online, 26 August 1998. Retrieved 12 January 2008.
  5. ↑ Nuclear Politics
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Social Protest and Policy Change: Ecology, Antinuclear, and Peace Movements p. 44.
  7. ↑ Lights Out at Shoreham: Anti-nuclear activism spurs the closing of a new $6 billion plant
  8. ↑ Oyster Creek's time is up, residents tell board
  9. ↑ Pilgrim Watch
  10. ↑ UNPLUG Salem
  11. ↑ Vermont Yankee License Renewal
  12. ↑ Eleven arrested in latest protest over Vermont Yankee
  13. ↑ Keep Yellowstone Nuclear Free
  14. ↑ Four Score Organizations Express Opposition to Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Dump
  15. ↑ Deadly Nuclear Waste Transport
  16. ↑ Hanford History
  17. ↑ 22 Arrested in Nuclear Protest
  18. ↑ Hundreds Protest at Livermore Lab
  19. ↑ More than 80 people arrested at annual protest at Livermore lab
  20. ↑ About CCNS
  21. ↑ The Renaissance of the Anti-Nuclear Movement
  22. ↑ Nuclear Waste Reaches German Storage Site Amid Fierce Protests
  23. ↑ Police break up German nuclear protest
  24. ↑ Protest against nuclear reactor Chicago Tribune, October 16, 2008.
  25. ↑ Southeast Climate Convergence occupies nuclear facility Indymedia UK, August 8, 2008.
  26. ↑ Critics assail nuclear plan
  27. ↑ Anti-Nuclear Renaissance: A Powerful but Partial and Tentative Victory Over Atomic Energy
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