The Green Party are organising our own alternative energy review, with 
questions for consultation, and we want people to organise meetings all 
around the country (you don't have to be Green Party members to get 
involved). We will be providing our own briefings and speakers, (Ie the 
truth not the lies the government will bring out.).

This way we hope we can outflank the media operation of the pro-nuclear 
people by getting our message into the local press (which is a lot 
easier than the national press, though we will try to get information in 
that as well).

Please let me know if you are interested in organising a meeting or 
volunteering as a speaker

Chris

Chris Church wrote:

> *Engaging in the energy / nuclear review*
>
> For anyone who cares about sustainable development in the UK / 
> world-wide the next three months are a little critical.
>
> The drive for nuclear is heavily resourced and the expressions of 
> neutrality from much of the government are weak at best. So what do we 
> do, apart from fill in the energy review response form?
>
> *1. Let’s be clear what the argument is.*
>
> The fact that all significant national environmental groups active on 
> climate are firmly opposed to the nuclear option should be a good 
> starting point. These are the organisations which put climate on the 
> agenda: the idea that ‘green groups don’t care about climate change’ 
> is not going to sell.
>
> The idea therefore that nuclear is the ‘only way’ to tackle climate 
> change is also hard to sell: indeed it is notable that the arguments 
> from the energy minister et al. are shifting towards ‘we have to keep 
> the lights on after 2030’ – which is basically the ‘we’ll all freeze 
> in the dark without nuclear power’ line that the nuclear industry 
> pushed in the ‘70s and ‘80s. It was scaremongering drivel then but it 
> is the case now that without a coal industry to provide base load 
> electricity we do have to work harder to make this argument.
>
> That’s one argument to win. We have the figures on a sustainable 
> energy mix: let’s make them clear.
>
> The second seems to be about how far energy efficiency and behaviour 
> change can deliver the huge changes that would be needed to make real 
> cuts in electricity demand. >From what I hear the government doesn’t 
> think so (or want to think so), and it’s of course the case that cuts 
> in power demand will be cuts in profits for some very influential 
> companies.
>
> We need some key figures here: just how much in total does the UK 
> spend on / invest in energy efficiency and conservation each year: for 
> the price of a new nuclear programme we could probably go a long way 
> not just to bring all the homes in the UK to the ‘Decent Homes’ 
> standard but actually to the EcoHomes standard*. Anyone out there got 
> these figures and want to share them?*
>
> This would knock fuel poverty on the head (and thus meet other 
> government priorities), create jobs where they are needed etc. etc. 
> But at the moment my impressions is that energy efficiency spending is 
> an order of magnitude (or two) lower than the costs of an expanded 
> nuclear programme.
>
> (And lets' not be sidelined into nukes vs wind arguments!)
>
> *2. Let’s make a fuss at every level.*
>
> I would invite each and everyone one interested to put April 26^th in 
> your diaries now – the 20^th anniversary of Chernobyl – as a day to 
> focus for local action on the public concerns about nuclear power. To 
> do that we need a lot of well-briefed people and well-organised groups….
>
> *3. Think about how things have changed in the last 20 years*
>
> This is where the new green distribution and generation companies come 
> in. It’s a very different market for electricity now. Let’s start 
> insisting that the companies that we all (don’t we?) get our power 
> from make a commitment that they don’t buy from any expanded nuclear 
> programme, and make it clear that there is a major market that won’t 
> but into this. I might suggest that every local authority that’s 
> opposed to nuclear power shifts its’ purchasing contracts in the 
> renewables direction and makes its’ intentions here quite clear (to 
> not buy nuclear) to the government.
>
> *I would suggest that every local sustainability forum / partnership / 
> network starts lobbying on this now.* http://www.nuclearpolicy.info/ 
> is the website for the nuclear-free local authorities network. There 
> are 70 L.A.s who are members: is yours one? (and if not then what are 
> you doing about it?)
>
> *4. Sharing information*
>
> If anyone has ideas on good email lists around this subject, please 
> let me / us know. I wouldn’t want the Local Sustainability list to be 
> overwhelmed with this issue: maybe we need a specific list on the 
> energy review.
>
> Whatever you do – get involved now…
>
> Chris Church
>