Greenpeace to ASEAN: Don’t go nuclear (Bats for renewable energy)

[Turborama]

Source: INQUIRER.net

PATTAYA, Thailand—Greenpeace activists asked Asian leaders here for the ASEAN Plus Three Summit to pursue renewable energy programs instead of nuclear energy.

Such a thrust, they said, would turn the current financial crisis into an opportunity for addressing runaway climate change. They said the $120-billion economic stimulus package being proposed for the region should go into the development and deployment of clean renewable energy systems which would then create thousands of sustainable jobs in the region.

The environmental group also warned governments not to waste money on imports of costly and dangerous nuclear reactors, after the governments of Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam have recently expressed intention to build nuclear power plants.

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"Nuclear power plants are not only dangerous and dirty, but also extremely costly. Their construction would bring large profits to rich countries at the expense of the economies in Southeast Asia, and make this region dependent on technologies, fuel, and supplies from overseas,” Greenpeace said in a statement to the media.

“ASEAN leaders should instead shift investments into renewable energy projects which have been proven to generate hundreds of thousands of sustainable and clean jobs that would stay in the region. These projects will also advance climate protection in a big way," said Greenpeace International nuclear energy expert Jan Beránek.

Read more: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20090410-198725/Greenpeace-to-ASEAN-Dont-go-nuclear