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Sense of Congress proclaimation full of Nonsense

The Senate Energy Committee voted yesterday to approve a “Sense of the Congress Regarding the Strategic Role of Nuclear Energy.” But local critics of nuclear power say it is more non-sense than sense; and it could lay the groundwork to turn Illinois into a de facto high-level radioactive waste (HLRW) storage dump for the region.

There is nothing sensible about this vote. We have written Senators Durbin and Burris asking them to reject this document – which could turn Illinois into the de facto Yucca Mt. of the Great Lakes.

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Bingaman/Inslee Energy Proposal Deeply Flawed!

Please visit our Action Alert for more information!

Chicago Tribune Commentary Plays Politics with Yucca Mt. Issue again

The Obama Adminstration decision to terminate funding for the proposed high-level radioactive waste disposal facility at Yucca Mt. NV has both ended the waste of money and time that continuing Yucca would have represented; but also has left the nation with no immediate prospects for a long-term disposal solution in site. NEIS has maintained that Yucca Mt. mountain should have been shut about 10 years and $8 billion ago.

Tribune commentator Dennis Byrne has seized upon this Administration decision as an opportunity to politically attack President Obama and the two Democratic Senators from Illinois who so far have not objected to the Administration decision. The Tribune itself has a long history of supporting the ill-conceived and highly flawed Yucca project.

NEIS has continuously rebutted the Tribune's position.  We continue the resistence to the irrationality of their call to re-open the Yucca project:

 » see our letter to the Tribune editorial Board
 » see our letter to the editors rebutting the Dennis Byrne commentary
 » see the Byrne commentary

IL Nuclear Moratorium Safe -- For Now

...but now is the time to prepare for the next round)

Greetings All --
We finally have something to celebrate!

We wanted to be absolutely sure before we wrote this note, but we have now confirmed from several sources that the legislation that would have repealed the IL nuclear construction moratorium did not move in this last legislative session in the Capitol. For the time being, the moratorium is safe.

We at NEIS thank all of you who helped keep the pressure on our officials to keep the moratorium and the Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) intact.

The House chose not to move on Rep. JoAnn Osmond's HB875; it was never voted on. In the Senate political machinations resulted in the transfer of control of Sen. Michael Clayborne's SB2162 to Sen. Michael Bond. Sen. Bond attempted to attach an amendment to the legislation after the amendment deadline, and this was not allowed or acted upon, preventing the bill from moving. Since no action was taken, the moratorium stands.

We are warned however that there are always ways to resurrect things in a future session -- like the one ending this Spring, and even the Fall veto session. So like the undead, this legislation could return, perhaps unexpectedly (yet again). Another possibility is that the same moratorium-repeal language was used by Sen. Clayborne in a different piece of legislation, which IS eligible for action in the remaining Spring session, and which has already passed the House as a shell bill. We and our allies on Springfield will watch out for this back-door possibility.

What you can do:

1. Send thank-yous:
Thank your legislators if they opposed the bills, and House Speaker Madigan for not calling the bill in the House. The latter may be the single most effective barrier we have to preventing the bill from passing in some sneaky back-door way.
2. Keep up the pressure:
Over the Spring and Summer, NEIS will continue getting groups to sign on to our Position Statement.
We were able to get over 20 organizations and more individuals to sign this the final week before the session ended.
We will be spending the summer getting hundreds of Illinois groups to sign this Statement -- to have them ready for the inevitable next round. Please get organizations you know to sign on to this Statement, and return them to NEIS. They do not have to be environmental groups. Business and community groups, congregations, etc. are fine as well. If you know of prestigious individuals who would support this Statement, please ask them to sign as individuals.

Thank you all for your efforts! We won this one! That's how democracy works -- one vote at a time.
Stay well, keep doing great things!
--Dave Kraft, Director--

Carbon Free, Nuclear Free:
A Roadmap for U.S. Energy Policy

In the debate about what we should do about global warming, the Public is frequently given the false and disingenuous choice between continuing with some form of coal - or nuclear power. Renewable energy is marginalized and not discussed. Misleading statements about environmentalists reconsidering the use of nuclear power abound.

What has NOT received sufficient coverage in the media is that we currently possess a great deal of the technological know-how needed to begin creating an energy future that will be BOTH carbon free, and nuclear free -- and by the year 2050 according to today's guest.

Dr. Arjun Makhijani, President of the Inst. for Energy and Envirnmental Research in Takoma Park MD, has fleshed out the details to this enormously important roadmap for a sane, sustainable and environmentally responsible US energy policy.

Read more about this report and see video of NEIS director Dave Kraft interviewing Dr. Makhijani for Chicago's CAN-TV

Low-Carbon Diet Trainings Gaining Momentum
for our "You Can't 'Nuke' Global Warming" Program

NEIS' "You Can't 'Nuke' Global Warming" Program is designed to remove 1,000,000 pounds of CO2 from the atmosphere by December 31st; and to teach people why nuclear power is not an option in the fight against global warming and adverse climate change.  One of the tools we are using to accomplish this result is the  Low-Carb(on) Diet. We have worked with over 30 people to date in our training sessions; approximately 250 households would be required for NEIS to reach its CO2 goal by the end of the year.

Visit our "You Can't Nuke Global Warming" page for more information!

You can purchase a copy of the Low Carbon Diet Book through NEIS

NEIS and CAN-TV Chicago Produce a Google Video about GNEP

In cooperation with CAN-TV, NEIS produced a 30-minute DVD and cable TV segment on GNEP entitled "GNEP:  Nuclear Wolf in Sheep's Clothing."  This program can be viewed on Google TV at: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1498918502264826711

The program is an interview of GNEP/reprocessing activists Aileen Mioko Smith of Green Action (an anti-reprocessing group in Kyoto, Japan); and of Shaun Burnie, an independent consultant from Scotland formerly with Greenpeace International.  DVD copies of the program are available on request from NEIS for a nominal handling/production fee.

Nuclear Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

You can view or download our latest collaboration with Chicago's CAN-TV from Google video

Nuclear Power is NOT the answer for global warming.  The Nuclear Industry claims Nuclear Power is the answer to global warming. Never mind that fuel processing emits enormous amounts of greenhouse gasses, the deaths from Radiation and that electric power can't fuel the existing vehicles. Read the truth on our Global Warming page

Millions of Iraqis, Bosnians and Coalition Troops Irradiated by Depleted Uranium.  What is "Gulf War" syndrome? Why are new mothers in Basra asked not "Its it a boy or a girl", but "Is it normal or is it deformed?" The answer could be the Depleted Uranium used in US antitank weapons. Read about it here

Still No Place for the Waste Once you burn up nuclear fuel, what do with it? The Bush Administration thought it had an answer, but NEIS has a web page where you can read about the Yucca Mountain boondoggle.

US Nuclear Reactors - A Major Terrorism Risk In the post 9/11 world, you would think that we used the most secure, protected and decentralized methods possible to provide essential services like electric power generation. Guess Again. Read the NEIS web page on Reactor InSecurity

Illinois is the Most Nuclear State in the USA!

In fact, only 5 countries in the world - of which one is the USA - generate more nuclear power than the state of Illinois.
We have eleven operating power reactors, three power reactors prematurely closed, and hearings underway for a new plant.
We have a waste dump for "low level" waste, a storage facility for spent fuel, and Manhattan Project waste buried in a forest preserve.

Click here and visit our "Nuclear Illinois" page to learn more

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