The proposed Hinkley Point nuclear power station has become something of a hot-topic amongst some of the Bath activists, with people either side of the debate and many on the fence - hence why I was excited that Bath People's Assembly are once again putting on a relevant and topical event - see their press release below. On the whole, I'm against the new power station. The money being poured into nuclear could be much better spent elsewhere - like research into renewables, making them more efficient and cost-effective. The contaminants are in the ground for hundreds of years - I recently spoke with a guy who specialises in removal of the contaminants and who is against nuclear power on these grounds. And, in the unlikely event of a catastrophe, my lovely city will be wiped out. You don't get that threat with wind turbines, solar panels or geothermal energy. But more than that, I really think that we use far too much energy. Finding alternative things to do than having huge widescreen TVs and computer consoles on all night - or least gathering communally, cooking communally, turning off stuff when it's not needed are all things we could do to reduce the need for any kind of power - nucelar or otherwise. Low-impact micro-generation for communities could bring people together and result in less energy use. But then I'm no expert. The man giving this talk is, however - go and hear what he has to say. More on energy in the future - here's their press release:
On Friday August 17th, Bath People's Assembly will be hosting a talk by the Stop Hinkley campaign, opposed to the development of the proposed nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset. This talk follows on from their successful "Visions for Change" event earlier this year. Although the proposed power plant is not in BANES, some Bath residents are concerned about the environmental impact of nuclear power (including uranium mining), and also that Bath could potentially be affected in the event of any major catastrophe, such as those at Sellafield, Chernobyl and Fukushima.
Hinkley Point is currently the site of two existing nuclear power stations - Hinkley A which closed in 2000, and Hinkley B, which is still operating but due to close in 2016. The proposed new power station, Hinkley C, would consist of two reactors and would be the first new nuclear power station built in Britain for over 20 years.
The speaker, Richard Carder, was the Green party candidate for North Somerset in the General Election of 1979, and represented Friends of the Earth at the Public Inquiry into Hinkley in 1989, when he focussed on the emissions of radioactive materials into air and sea. He is now a spokesman for Stop Hinkley in North Somerset. The talk is held at the Friends' Meeting House, York Street, Bath from 7pm and the event is free. There will be a discussion session following the talk, during which people from all sides of the debate over Hinkley can have their say.
Bath People's Assembly is an independent democratic non-affiliated body for discussion, debate and the formulation of ideas and proposals on local, national and global issues and policies. Its purpose is to give all people of Bath a stronger democratic voice. It invites people of all ages, genders, abilities, races, and religions to come and work together to put democracy into action. Formed in December 2011, they hold regular meetings to which all residents of Bath and the surrounding area are invited. In April 2012 they organised the "Visions for Change" event, to which they invited all of the various campaign and activist groups and organisations in the Bath area to have stalls and give short talks. The Stop Hinkley talk is likely to be the first in a series of talks following on from this event.
On Friday August 17th, Bath People's Assembly will be hosting a talk by the Stop Hinkley campaign, opposed to the development of the proposed nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset. This talk follows on from their successful "Visions for Change" event earlier this year. Although the proposed power plant is not in BANES, some Bath residents are concerned about the environmental impact of nuclear power (including uranium mining), and also that Bath could potentially be affected in the event of any major catastrophe, such as those at Sellafield, Chernobyl and Fukushima.
Hinkley Point is currently the site of two existing nuclear power stations - Hinkley A which closed in 2000, and Hinkley B, which is still operating but due to close in 2016. The proposed new power station, Hinkley C, would consist of two reactors and would be the first new nuclear power station built in Britain for over 20 years.
The speaker, Richard Carder, was the Green party candidate for North Somerset in the General Election of 1979, and represented Friends of the Earth at the Public Inquiry into Hinkley in 1989, when he focussed on the emissions of radioactive materials into air and sea. He is now a spokesman for Stop Hinkley in North Somerset. The talk is held at the Friends' Meeting House, York Street, Bath from 7pm and the event is free. There will be a discussion session following the talk, during which people from all sides of the debate over Hinkley can have their say.
Bath People's Assembly is an independent democratic non-affiliated body for discussion, debate and the formulation of ideas and proposals on local, national and global issues and policies. Its purpose is to give all people of Bath a stronger democratic voice. It invites people of all ages, genders, abilities, races, and religions to come and work together to put democracy into action. Formed in December 2011, they hold regular meetings to which all residents of Bath and the surrounding area are invited. In April 2012 they organised the "Visions for Change" event, to which they invited all of the various campaign and activist groups and organisations in the Bath area to have stalls and give short talks. The Stop Hinkley talk is likely to be the first in a series of talks following on from this event.
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