Pro-nuke Friends of the Earth?
Posted: 14 Jun 2012, 23:12
From Lynas' blog -- would be interesting to know if anyone could put any clear attribution to the claims being made in this article, to be certain of FoE's position in the run-up to the Hinkley C inquiry. It would rather put the mockers on the anti-nuclear presentations if this little ditty were pulled out of a hat during the proceedings.
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http://www.marklynas.org/2012/06/friend ... ar-stance/
Friends of the Earth considers abandoning anti-nuclear stance
Mark Lynas (blog), 14th June 2012
Friends of the Earth is seriously considering abandoning its decades-long opposition to nuclear power, the organisation’s head of policy, science and research Mike Childs has revealed to me in an extensive and very frank interview. To me this very much confirms Friends of the Earth’s position on the pragmatic end of the environmentalist spectrum, and is a welcome reflection of the fact that there are many in the green movement – even in well-established NGOs with long-held positions – who do not hold ‘religious’ positions even on exceptionally divisive and emotive issues such as nuclear.
(The entire interview is transcribed in full underneath these introductory comments, as I’m sure many might worry that I am misinterpreting Mike’s comments or taking them out of context given the controversy they could potentially generate.)
Friends of the Earth has already quietly moved away from calling for an immediate shutdown of the UK’s nuclear power stations, and now supports the continued operation of nuclear plants until the end of their prescribed lifetimes. It has also stated its support for research on thorium-fuelled nuclear plants, and is examining the arguments around GE-Hitachi’s proposed PRISM reactor which could generate carbon-free power by consuming nuclear waste and plutonium. However, Mike Childs’ comments are an indication that Friends of the Earth is perhaps moving faster and more ambitiously on this issue than many observers will have realised – and I think this potential shift could hold great significance for the environmental movement as a whole.