Act Now

URGENT!!! STOP TEXAS FROM BECOMING A NATIONAL NUKE WASTE DUMP!!!

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5502/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5042

Congress is Baaaaaack......Let's Stop The Nuke Guarantees AGAIN!!!

Hello NukeFree!

They Baaaaaack....

An increasingly desperate nuclear power industry will do everything it possibly can to get more billions of dollars to guarantee construction of new nuclear plants.

We must stop them.

Stay tuned right here to NukeFree.org as the battle resumes. We will keep you posted on all the latest developments, and let you know how you can help.

Together we have moved mountains. The longer we keep these guarantees at bay, the less likely there will be ANY new nukes constructed in the US.

The time, again, is NOW!!!

So keep up with all the on-going news and No Nukes action alerts at NukeFree.org.

WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF WINNING A GREEN-POWERED EARTH!!!!

NIRS: Good News!!! Nuke Loan Guarantees in Limbo; 10m Solar Rooftops Progressing

 

GOOD NEWS FROM WASHINGTON (FOR A CHANGE!)

SENATE REJECTS EMERGENCY FUNDING BILL WITH $9 BILLION IN NUKE LOAN GUARANTEES

SENATE DROPS NUKE-LARDED CLIMATE BILL AND SENATE COMMITTEE CUTS HOUSE COMMITTEE'S NUKE LOAN PROGRAM

10 MILLION SOLAR ROOFS BILL PASSES SENATE ENERGY COMMITTEE--SUPPORT IT NOW

AND ACT NOW TO STOP ANY NUKE AMENDMENTS TO NEXT WEEK'S ENERGY BILL

July 23, 2010

Dear Friend,

That's a lot of headlines for one Alert, but as you can see, there is finally some good news coming out of Washington! Your constant pressure and actions are making a real difference!

First, the Senate last night rejected the House-passed emergency supplemental funding bill by a 51-46 vote.* This is the bill that included $9 Billion in "emergency" loans for new nuclear reactor construction. The House will almost certainly have to accept the Senate version; those loans are now history.

Second, the Senate has given up on passing a climate bill before the November elections. That's obviously mixed news: we support a strong climate bill. But we weren't going to get a strong climate bill anyway; what we were going to get was a Christmas-in-July gift to the nuclear power industry. The wealthy nuclear corporations were all ready to unwrap their presents. Not this time.

Third, earlier this week, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved an energy funding bill for next year that includes $10 Billion in nuclear loans (along with $7+ billion for fossil fuels and about $3 billion for renewables). Those are clearly some misplaced priorities--and $10 billion for new reactors is $10 Billion too much, but it is less than half of the $25 Billion passed by the House Appropriations Committee. We'll keep you posted on how the Senate and House try to reconcile their differences, and when you can act.

Fourth, the Senate Energy Committee yesterday approved Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-VT) 10 million solar roofs bill (S. 3460). This bill would provide tax credits and other incentives to encourage people to install solar power on 10 million rooftops across the U.S. It would ramp up mass production of solar panels and thus likely reduce their cost. It's an easy bill to support. Here is an article that describes the bill.

Unfortunately, the Committee also approved two pro-nuclear bills: S. 2052, which would authorize the Department of Energy to spend $50 million/year through 2015 to reduce the cost of new reactors (although it's hard to see how that kind of money can accomplish that goal, utilities already have plenty of incentive to reduce costs) and S. 2812, which would encourage the development of "small, modular reactors" and seek their design certification by the NRC by 2018 (although it is highly unlikely these could ever prove economical--see Amory Lovins' factsheet here).

YOUR ACTIONS ARE STILL NEEDED!

First, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is expected to introduce a new, very scaled-down energy bill for debate next week, focused primarily on energy efficiency and offshore oil issues. We haven't yet seen this bill, but at this point we do not expect it to include any nuclear provisions.

However, when an energy bill reaches the Senate floor, there is always a strong possibility someone will try to attach a pro-nuclear amendment. If we learn of a specific amendment, we will let you know, but for now we encourage you to tell your Senators to oppose any nuclear amendments. You can do so here.

And, we encourage you to support a bill for a change! Please write your Senators here and urge them to co-sponsor and pass Sen. Sanders' 10 million solar roofs bill.

Finally, we ask you to please take a moment to donate to NIRS and help us continue the successes of this campaign. It's your support and your actions that make good news like this possible, and we need both of those.

Thank you so much for all you do,

Michael Mariotte
Executive Director
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
[email protected]
www.nirs.org

*you can find out how your Senator voted here. It was primarily Senate Republicans who voted against the bill--not because they necessarily were opposed to nuclear loans, but because they were against domestic spending generally. There was no separate vote on the nuclear loans.

Bonnie, Jackson & Graham Ask for Calls to Congress

Message from Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Graham Nash

 

Dear Nuke Free friends,

This is nuclear power's summer of desperation. It has just a few short weeks to grab billions in taxpayer funding for new nuclear plants.

Last time we wrote, a $9 billion package was being slipped into an "emergency" war appropriations bill. Amidst a wave of your letters, the vote did not happen. 
The issue is now in the Senate, and has been greatly complicated by our efforts. 

Now the industry is demanding $25 billion for unspecified projects. Again, your voice can make a difference.

Please join us (Bonnie, Jackson, Graham and the NukeFree team) in writing and calling the members of the House, and especially in calling members of the House Appropriations Committee, per the below alert from NIRS, and ask them to oppose this latest industry boondoggle. A key vote may come up as soon as Thursday afternoon. 

Your voice HAS made a difference. But we need to keep shouting. Please contact Congress ASAP.

Thank you!!!

~ Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Graham Nash

 

 

HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE TO MEET THURSDAY, JULY 15. WILL CONSIDER SPENDING BILL THAT INCLUDES $25 BILLION OF TAXPAYER MONEY FOR NEW REACTOR CONSTRUCTION LOANS. ACT NOW! TELL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE ONE MORE TIME: NO TAXPAYER SUBSIDIES FOR NUCLEAR POWER!

 

Dear Friends,

We have to act again, and we have to act now.

A House Appropriations Subcommittee plans to hold another meeting to try to pass an energy budget for Fiscal Year 2011 on Thursday (July 15) afternoon.

As you may remember, the subcommittee had scheduled a meeting in June but cancelled it when some pro-nuclear Democrats (especially Chet Edwards (Tex.) and Chaka Fattah (Penn.) complained that the bill did not include the Obama Administration's request for $36 Billion to loan to wealthy nuclear utilities to build new nuclear reactors.

Since then, the House has passed $9 billion in new nuclear loans through the emergency supplemental funding bill (the Senate has not yet taken up that bill). Not satisfied with that, the pro-nuclear faction has succeeded in getting the rest--$25 Billion--on the energy appropriations bill that will be considered on Thursday.

Now we have to get this money removed from the bill. And your actions can make the difference.

Please send a message to your Representative now here. And please help us spread the word to your networks, friends and relatives: there isn't much time. Here is the link to the action page: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5502/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3179

And if your Representative is on the list below, he/she is on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy. Please call his/her office today with the simple message: Vote against all loans for new nuclear reactors. You can reach every member of Congress at 202-224-3121.

We don't need more radioactive waste, more radiation leaks, and higher electric bills--all the things more nuclear power would bring.

We had hoped to begin moving our attention to the Senate this week, which soon will be taking up energy/climate bills--with potentially disastrous nuclear provisions.

But first we have to stop $25 billion in new nuclear loans. So we all need to act, and act fast. Please send your letter here; if your Representative is listed below, please call him/her today.

And, last and probably least, if you can support this ongoing (and seemingly never-ending) campaign, please make a tax-deductible contribution here. Your support enables us to do this essential work.

Thanks for all you do,

Michael Mariotte
Executive Director
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
[email protected]
www.nirs.org

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water

Democrats

  • Chair: Peter J. Visclosky (IN)
  • Chet Edwards (TX)
  • Ed Pastor (AZ)
  • Marion Berry (AR)
  • Chaka Fattah (PA)
  • Steve Israel (NY)
  • John W. Olver (MA)
  • Lincoln Davis (TN)
  • John T. Salazar (CO)
  • Patrick Murphy (PA)
  • David R. Obey (WI), Ex Officio

Republicans

  • Ranking Member: Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (NJ)
  • Zach Wamp (TN)
  • Michael K. Simpson (ID)
  • Dennis R. Rehberg (MT)
  • Ken Calvert (CA)
  • Rodney Alexander (LA)
  • Jerry Lewis (CA), Ex Officio

Remove $25 Billion Nuke Subsidies from Thursday's House Appropriations Vote

 

HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE TO MEET THURSDAY, JULY 15

WILL CONSIDER SPENDING BILL THAT INCLUDES $25 BILLION OF TAXPAYER MONEY FOR NEW REACTOR CONSTRUCTION LOANS

ACT NOW! TELL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE ONE MORE TIME: NO TAXPAYER SUBSIDIES FOR NUCLEAR POWER!

 

July 13, 2010

Dear Friends,

We have to act again, and we have to act now.

A House Appropriations Subcommittee plans to hold another meeting to try to pass an energy budget for Fiscal Year 2011 on Thursday (July 15) afternoon.

As you may remember, the subcommittee had scheduled a meeting in June but cancelled it when some pro-nuclear Democrats (especially Chet Edwards (Tex.) and Chaka Fattah (Penn.) complained that the bill did not include the Obama Administration's request for $36 Billion to loan to wealthy nuclear utilities to build new nuclear reactors.

Since then, the House has passed $9 billion in new nuclear loans through the emergency supplemental funding bill (the Senate has not yet taken up that bill). Not satisfied with that, the pro-nuclear faction has succeeded in getting the rest--$25 Billion--on the energy appropriations bill that will be considered on Thursday.

Now we have to get this money removed from the bill. And your actions can make the difference.

Please send a message to your Representative now here. And please help us spread the word to your networks, friends and relatives: there isn't much time. Here is the link to the action page: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5502/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY...

And if your Representative is on the list below, he/she is on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy. Please call his/her office today with the simple message: Vote against all loans for new nuclear reactors. You can reach every member of Congress at 202-224-3121.

We don't need more radioactive waste, more radiation leaks, and higher electric bills--all the things more nuclear power would bring.

We had hoped to begin moving our attention to the Senate this week, which soon will be taking up energy/climate bills--with potentially disastrous nuclear provisions.

But first we have to stop $25 billion in new nuclear loans. So we all need to act, and act fast. Please send your letter here; if your Representative is listed below, please call him/her today.

And, last and probably least, if you can support this ongoing (and seemingly never-ending) campaign, please make a tax-deductible contribution here. Your support enables us to do this essential work.

Thanks for all you do,

Michael Mariotte
Executive Director
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
[email protected]
www.nirs.org

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water

Democrats
Chair: Peter J. Visclosky (IN)
Chet Edwards (TX)
Ed Pastor (AZ)
Marion Berry (AR)
Chaka Fattah (PA)
Steve Israel (NY)
John W. Olver (MA)
Lincoln Davis (TN)
John T. Salazar (CO)
Patrick Murphy (PA)
David R. Obey (WI), Ex Officio

Republicans
Ranking Member: Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (NJ)
Zach Wamp (TN)
Michael K. Simpson (ID)
Dennis R. Rehberg (MT)
Ken Calvert (CA)
Rodney Alexander (LA)
Jerry Lewis (CA), Ex Officio

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