NUCLEAR POWER-NO THANKS

RMTnews :: may 2006 :: www.rmt.org.uk 26 G eorge Bush is sabre rattling again. You would have thought the political catastrophe he is responsible for in IRAQ would have taught him a lesson he’d never forget. But No. Seymour Hersh the highly respected US investigative journalist has reported Bush is threatening to mount a military assault on Iran to stop them developing nuclear power stations and through that obtaining the ingredients necessary to build a nuclear bomb. I read Hersh’s report of Bush’s plan, like a great many other people did I suspect, with a mixture of fear and disbelief. Fear of the obvious disastrous consequences such a reckless adventure would unleash and disbelief that anyone could even contemplate such a response. Later the plan struck me again from a different perspective altogether. Scotland is presently in the middle of a nuclear turf war of our own. Tony Blair wants to build more nuclear power stations because he believes they answer two of Britain pressing political concerns; the need to ensure reliable energy sources and the need to reduce CO2 emissions. Thankfully I see no reports of Bush planning to bomb Britain just yet. Mind you it would be a pretty bad case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted since we already has one the world’s biggest stock piles of nuclear weapons. Although energy policy is a matter reserved to Westminster, the Scottish Parliament does have jurisdiction over planning applications. The debate over nuclear power in Scotland is therefore a curious one. First Minister Jack McConnell is desperate to keep in step with London but also has one eye on next years Scottish Parliament elections. He knows how unpopular nuclear power stations are up here. Jacks judgement will of course be influenced by the fact this is the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. Depending on who you speak to the estimated final death toll there varies between 4,000 and 100,000. So far the Scottish Executive has tried to steer a middle path. It has on occasion seemed prepared to oppose Tony Blair because there is no safe way to dispose of the lethal waste that nuclear powers stations produce. For my part I believe the case against nuclear power generation is overwhelming. The fact is radioactive materials remain hazardous to human life for 1,000 years to come. As well as Chernobyl there have been other disasters, like the one at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. And there remain grave health concerns about the high incidences of childhood leukaemia clustered around nuclear reactor sites. The cost of nuclear power generation is as many critics point out very high indeed because the set up costs are exorbitant. But it is the human cost that is potentially incalculable. I would much prefer that to see the £52bn apparently set aside by Gordon Brown for the second generation of nuclear reactors invested both in renewable energy sources and in the safer forms of electricity generation already available to us. Colin Fox MSP National Convenor of the Scottish Socialist Party NUCLEAR POWER-NO THANKS Edwards Duthie Solicitors has a special affinity with trade unions, their members and officials. We have advised union members and their families for some 22 years, to the point where we now serve some 40,000 members across 230 branches nationwide. We have a dedicated team which serves RMT members, their families and friends. Unlike our competitors, we offer a full range of legal services, many of which are free or heavily discounted for union members : ●PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS ●SPECIALIST CLINICAL NEGLIGENCE TEAM ●EXPERT ADVICE ON ALL ASPECTS OF EMPLOYMENT LAW ●24 HOUR CRIMINAL ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION ●FREE WILLS SERVICE FOR MEMBERS ●10% DISCOUNT ON RESIDENTIAL CONVEYANCING ●LAW SOCIETY SPECIALISTS IN FAMILY AND MATRIMONIAL ADVICE ●FREE HALF HOUR INTERVIEW IN ALL AREAS OF LAW Our approach is both proactive and hands on. Our lawyers go to see members and officials at the workplace, at home, at union premises or wherever discussion can best be accommodated nationwide. We are here to provide a service and, unlike our competitors, we do not consider that we can do that from a remote standpoint. RING NOW FOR ADVICE & ASSISTANCE ON 0208 514 9000 email: allinfo@edwardsduthie.com In partnership with the