healthier, happier and richer

Four former heads of Friends of the Earth, Jonathon Porritt, Tony Juniper, Charles Secrett and Tom Burke, wrote to prime minister David Cameron earlier this week, arguing against nuclear power.  They had all the traditional anti-nuclear arguments – waste, radioactivity, cost – but added a new one. Building new nuclear power stations in the UK will hand UK energy policy over to the French. Shock horror.  I didn’t know that these four – all of whom I know and respect, even though we don’t agree on this – were anti-French.  Climate change is the classic international issue; climate pollution recognises no national boundaries. So, there is no place for nationalism in trying to control it. French-controlled low carbon electricity is preferable to British high carbon electricity.

In response, five environmental authors – including me – have written to Cameron arguing in favour of new nuclear.  The letter and press release can be seen on Mark Lynas’ site (see Mark Lynas: A letter to David Cameron and Mark Lynas: UK environmentalists write to Prime Minister in support of new nuclear).