Surround Hinkley Point NPP action
- action: "No more Fukushimas - Surround Hinkley Point" on March 10-11, 2012
- more information: http://stopnuclearpoweruk.net/content/no-more-fukushimas-10-11-march-2012-surround-hinkley-point
FUKUSHIMA: The biggest industrial disaster in history. Japan, has been brought to its knees by the ongoing events at Fukushima.
The reactors that went into meltdown in March have now melted through the foundations and 40 years of accumulated nuclear waste is emitting vast amounts of radiation, contaminating the land, sea and air. In desperation, the Japanese government is transporting and burning radioactive rubble all over Japan and exporting highly contaminated food as “aid” to developing countries. Men, women and children are living in highly radioactive areas but they are not being evacuated as they should be. This intense radiation exposure has very serious health consequences for these people.
How has Japan ended up in this dreadful situation? Their government always said “It can’t happen here.” Sound familiar? Powerful political and economic interest groups are gagging the world’s media on this unfolding tragedy. Ordinary people the world over will pay the price.
Since the first civilian reactor started generating in 1954, there has been, on average, a major accident every 14-18 years:
- Windscale 1957
- Three Mile Island 1979
- Chernobyl 1986
- Fukushima 2011
Surround and blockade Hinkley Point, Somerset
Hinkley Point is the first of eight proposed sites for nuclear new build to go ahead. We stopped them here before in 1987, and we can do it again in 2012. If they fail at Hinkley, it is unlikely the “nuclear renaissance” will have the momentum to continue.
On the 10th -11th March 2012, one year since the Fukushima nuclear disaster began, we will return to Hinkley to form a human chain around the station to show our determined opposition to new nuclear.
In 2010, dozens of us blockaded the gates at Hinkley. In 2011 hundreds of us blockaded the entrance again. In 2012, thousands of us will surround the power station to say No to new nuclear! Not here, not anywhere!
In October 2011, people pledged to blockade. This time, pledge to bring 5 friends and tell them to do the same. Thousands are needed to surround the station!
Nuclear Power and Hinkley C: a local, national and global problem
The government is green washing nuclear power as a low carbon energy solution that will ‘save us’ from climate change.
The proposed HinkleyC power station will take a minimum of 10 years to build. The 2 reactors and their accompanying infrastructure will destroy a beautiful land area the size of 2 Wembley Stadiums. Nuclear power only provides the UK with a sixth of its electricity. Simple energy conservation could cut this demand and carbon emissions. The Nuclear Industry is highly dependant on fossil fuels at every stage of production: mining, transport, processing, waste management and decommissioning.
Additionally these coastal reactors are at risk of flooding by rising sea levels.
The UK currently has enough nuclear waste to fill 5 Albert Halls for which there is still no safe solution .So 3 generations of waste must be kept safe for another 10,000 generations.
The government maintains that there will be no public subsidies for the new nuclear programme. Nuclear power stations are uninsurable and no nuclear facility has ever been built, run or decommissioned without large amounts of tax payer’s money. Managing the growing stockpile of waste is costing us billions. By investing heavily in nuclear, the government is not putting money into necessary, safer and sustainable alternatives.
EDF (Électricité de France) wants to build HinkleyC.Their Flamanville reactor (French new build) is four years late and billions over budget. A third of their workforce are migrant labourers and the French unions are accusing EDF of imposing a form of modern slavery. On top of all this, they are €44 billion in debt to the French government. Germany is phasing out nuclear power. 344, 000 people are employed in their growing renewable energy industry. This is 10 times the entire current UK nuclear workforce.
Nuclear power was military in its inception and it continues to serve the war machine.
Plutonium has been used in nuclear weapons. Uranium produced in the nuclear process is surfacing in the aftermath of wars in Iraq, the Balkans, Afghanistan and Libya. This is contaminating land, civilians and soldiers for generations.
The UK is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. This dominant position is maintained by being an established nuclear power. Billions are currently being invested in developing nuclear weapons at Aldermaston and renewing Trident.
To ‘Surround Hinkley’ is to demand to have a voice in decisions about our energy future. Help to make this a festival of creative resistance with music, art, theatre, banners, and whatever takes your fancy! To mark the end of the ‘Surround’, there will be a gathering at the main gate of Hinkley for a rally and music. You may want to return on the coaches after the action or stay to blockade the gates for 24 hours. With tents and tubes we will remain at the gates to show our solidarity with the people of Japan.
The time to act is now! Join your local anti nuclear campaign, form affinity groups. The Stop New Nuclear Alliance can help by giving training in non-violent direct action, consensus decision- making, spokes councils and advice on transport etc….
In our hundreds, in our thousands we will come together to stop nuclear power at Hinkley Point and dismantle the whole new nuclear agenda! JOIN US!
