Anti-nuclear Movement in the United Kingdom

Upcoming Events
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. The Nuclear Contribution to Climate Change in the UK is much higher than thought because of the HFC emissions of the nuclear plant in Sellafield.

Latest Developments
The British government plans the construction of new nuclear power plants in the UK. The Infrastructure Planning Commission project list includes::
 * Hinkley C, Somerset (EDF) - 2 Aug 2010
 * Rolls-Royce signed in January 2019 a contract to provide backup power for Hinkley C (4 x 3,600 kW)
 * Sizewell C, Suffolk (EDF) - 1 Jun 2011
 * Sizewell C connector, Bramford to Twinstead, 26km overhead line - 1 Jun 2011
 * Hinkley Point connector, Bridgwater to Seabank, 60km overhead line - 1 Aug 2011
 * Wylfa, Anglesey (Horizon = E.ON + RWE npower) - 1 Nov 2011
 * Oldbury, Gloucestershire (Horizon = E.ON + RWE npower) - 1 Nov 2011

Background
In 1976, the UK Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution found that it would be "morally wrong" to make a major commitment to nuclear power without first demonstrating a safe way of isolating radioactive waste. Yet the UK is about to embark on a programme to build at least 10 new reactors while still lacking a disposal site for waste from the past 50 years. According to a New Scientist report, spent fuel from the new reactors will be far more radioactive than existing waste.

Specific groups
One of the most prominent and long-standing anti-nuclear groups in the UK is the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), which marked its 50th anniversary in February 2008. CND campaigns for nuclear disarmament by the UK and all countries and tighter international regulation through treaties such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It is currently pressuring the British government to abandon its plans to replace its submarine-based Trident nuclear missile system and commit to global abolition by signing up to a Nuclear Weapons Convention. CND is also opposed to new nuclear power stations being built in the UK. Historically, the group is particularly remembered for its Aldermaston Marches.

Other anti-nuclear groups in the UK include:


 * Aldermaston Women's Peace Camp(aign)
 * Blackwater Against New Nuclear Group (Essex, east England)
 * Campaign Against Nuclear Storage and Radiation (south-west England)
 * Christian CND
 * Close Capenhurst Campaign
 * Communities Against Nuclear Expansion (Suffolk, east England)
 * Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment (north-west England]
 * Earth First!
 * Faslane Peace Camp (Scotland)
 * Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland
 * Friends of the Earth Scotland
 * Greenpeace UK
 * Kent Against a Radioactive Environment (south-east England)
 * Labour CND
 * Low Level Radiation Campaign
 * No 2 Nuclear Power
 * No New Nukes
 * Nuclear-Free Local Authorities
 * Stop Nuclear Power Network (formerly Nuclear People Power)
 * c/o 5 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DX, United Kingdom, +44 845-2872381, [mailto:networkATstopnuclearpoweruk.net network AT stopnuclearpoweruk.net]
 * other internet contacts: [mailto:campaignATstopnewnuclear.org.uk campaign AT stopnewnuclear.org.uk], http://stopnewnuclear.org.uk
 * Stop New Nuclear is a campaign to stop new nuclear power stations and is an alliance of Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, CND Cymru, Stop Nuclear Power Network UK, Kick Nuclear, South West Against Nuclear, Shutdown Sizewell, Sizewell Blockaders, Trident Ploughshares, Stop Hinkley, and Rising Tide UK.
 * Nuclear Pledge
 * Nuclear Spin
 * Nuclear Trains Action Group
 * NukeWatch
 * People Against Wylfa B (PAWB) (north Wales)
 * Radiation-Free Lakeland (Cumbria, north-west England)
 * Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
 * Shut Down Sizewell (Suffolk, east England)
 * Stop Hinkley / Shut Oldbury (Somerset/Gloucestershire, south-west/west England)
 * SouthWest Against Nuclear
 * Trident Ploughshares
 * WWF-UK
 * Zombies for a Nuclear Apocalypse

Major political parties clearly in favour of unilateral nuclear disarmament:


 * Green Party of England & Wales
 * Green Party of Northern Ireland
 * Scottish Green Party
 * Scottish Nationalist Party

Major political parties clearly opposed to new nuclear power plants:


 * Green Party of England & Wales
 * Green Party of Northern Ireland
 * Liberal Democrats
 * Scottish Green Party
 * Scottish Nationalist Party

Academics
In 2008, several prominent UK academics spoke out against the government's proposal to build a new generation of nuclear power plants:
 * Frank Barnaby
 * Paul Dorfman
 * David Elliott
 * Kate Hudson
 * Jerome Ravetz
 * Andy Stirling
 * Stephen Thomas
 * Gordon Walker

Short Infos

 * Broken Promises By Chris Grimshaw & Olaf Bayer- Corporate Watch's new report on the civil nuclear industry.
 * nonewnukes is a campaign sponsored by the UK Rivers Network, an organization whose mission includes protecting British and Irish rivers, seas, and other inland waters from pollution.
 * no2nuclearpower.org.uk | Mailinglist | dynamic map 'What if Chernobyl happened here?'
 * friends of the earth | england | Building Site Map
 * NuclearSpin was originally launched in response to the British Government's 12-week consultation on energy in 2006. In 2007, the High Court ruled that the Government's plans to build a new generation of nuclear power stations were "unlawful"
 * largeassociates, London | events