STOP the $100 BILLION Nuclear Bailout!

6930 Carroll Avenue, #340, Takoma Park, MD 20912; 301-2706477; nirsnet@nirs.org; www.nirs.org

September 22, 2016

Dear Friend,

The nuclear industry is coming after our wallets again – and there’s more than money at stake.

And we need your help to stop them. Build the #NuclearIsDirty campaign.

For the last two years, nuclear power companies have been desperately trying to get billions of dollars in subsidies to keep their dirty, dangerous, old reactors from closing. Activists in Illinois, Ohio, and New York have been doing everything they can to stop them.

But in August, the governor of New York buckled, and included nuclear power in the state's new Clean Energy Standard: if the decision stands, New Yorkers will have to pay $7.6 billion in subsidies to nuclear power--three times as much as the state would spend on renewable energy sources, just to prop up four old nukes.

Within days, nuclear corporations were lobbying state governors and legislatures, convincing them to declare nuclear power clean energy--and give them New York-size bailouts.
Help us build the #NuclearIsDirty campaign and send the message--don't waste our clean energy dollars on dirty nuclear power.

And here’s the kicker: if other states follow New York—or the next President makes it a national subsidy—it would snowball into a $250 billion bailout. Connecticut alone would fork out $5 billion. New Jersey, $10 billion. Pennsylvania and Illinois, $30 billion each.

We have to stop this train before it starts, or it will block renewable energy for the next 15 years.
The nuclear industry acts like our energy dollars grow on trees, but in the real world, this is a choice. We need to put up solar panels on our rooftops, not prop up dirty, dangerous old nukes.

That’s why NIRS started the #NuclearIsDirty campaign. And we need your help to get the word out and build the movement.

 Over the next eight weeks, we will be taking action to let the next President, and every state Governor, know that nuclear power is dirty … from uranium mining all the way through to nuclear waste, splitting atoms to make electricity destroys lives and poisons the environment, and it has to stop. Nuclear bailouts are dirty money--and every dime that goes into them is creating radioactive waste, risking a Fukushima-like disaster, and keeping us from putting up solar panels and windmills.

We need your support to get the word out there. Over the next few months, we have to reach thousands of new activists across the country, and that means expanding our outreach and organizing.

So please make a contribution to support the campaign--and then share the #NuclearIsDirty campaign with your friends.

For the next four weeks, all donations will be tripled by generous NIRS supporters. 

Together, we will stop this nuclear bailout and accelerate the transition to a carbon-free, nuclear-free nation and world.
Thanks for your activism and your support.

Tim Judson
Executive Director
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This was sent to Barbara Billig by email and is being shared through her blog.

Barbara Billig is the author of nuclear novels of survival - meant to entertain and educate while telling a compelling story. Hope you enjoy. Please visit my website:

http://www.barbarabillig.com

Author: 

"The Nuclear Catastrophe" (a fiction novel of suspense) - The disaster happens in Southern California

 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004WDRWXY 

"#Betrayal" a nuclear fiction novel - the sequel - Several years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IX1L94Y

"Nuclear Road Trip-Onward to Destruction" - Terrorists carefully plan to attack a nuclear plant near Chicago

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OME9QO6

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/barbarabillig

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/barbarabillig/nuclear-catastrophes/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/BarbaraBilligTheNuclearCatastrophe

All profits from my novels have been donated to charity

March 11, 2013 - 2 Year Anniversary of Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe

From: Aslihan Tumer, Greenpeace International 

Dear  Barbara,

Today I'm writing to you about the Fukushima nuclear disaster because I need your support. First, try to imagine being forced to abandon your home so quickly that you cannot even return to warn your neighbours and friends to evacuate. Then imagine being told you may not be able to live in your home again for decades. It is too dangerous, there is too much radiation. That is what happened to some 160,000 people because of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. For the past two years these people have lived in limbo: not able to return, not able to start a new life, bearing the burden of the nuclear industry's disaster which the Red Cross calls an "ongoing humanitarian crisis".

Before this email you may never have heard of General Electric, Hitachi and Toshiba's connection to this disaster. But these three famous companies were closely involved in the design, construction and servicing of the Fukushima nuclear reactors, which experienced multiple failures and three full meltdowns almost two years ago.

Then these companies walked away from the disaster without being held accountable, including without paying any of the cost - estimated at 250 billion US dollars.

This situation is completely unjust and must change. If you agree, please join us in taking action.

General Electric, Hitachi and Toshiba are nuclear supplier companies who have left the Japanese people, especially the victims of Fukushima, to bear the burden of this nuclear disaster. In comparison with the zero dollars these companies have paid, the Japanese people have already paid 43.7 billion US dollars worth of public money.

The nuclear industry profits while creating huge nuclear risk, but people pay the price for this risk. This is partly because of flawed nuclear liability laws which prioritise the profits of the industry over the health and safety of the public by exempting nuclear supplier companies from paying for nuclear disasters. The situation in Japan is not an exception, nuclear liability laws are like this in most countries. The nuclear industry needs to be accountable just like any other industry in the world. The solution is simple "The polluter must pay."

You can help change this unfair situation - please help us build awareness of this issue and spread the word!

Thank you for supporting our work,

Aslihan

Consumer Ripoff by the Utility Companies

I started in 1977 making  the statement that nuclear power plants had the possibility of being dangerous.  I wrote: “The Nuclear Catastrophe”,  a fiction novel of suspense  and survival.  It foretold the idea  that an earthquake might cause the  control rods in a nuclear plant to become frozen in place and could no longer be used to control the speed of the nuclear decay of the fuel …… with an explosion and fires resulting….and the release of radioactive matter into the atmosphere, the water, the soils, the people etc.  That was just what happened in March of 20ll in the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Then as time went on I wondered why an executive at the Southern California Gas Company , married to a sister of my friend could afford to build one of the largest homes in Palos Verdes Estates (Southern California) while we were in our 40’s and still establishing our careers.  What did he do at this utility to earn so much money?  And later in Thousand Oaks, California, a water executive retired at an early age with a one million dollar bonus  (I think he had not taken vacation time – is that worth one million tax payer dollars – is not vacation absence work needs  covered by the other workers?).

Then my real estate career took off and I was busy with that and my family.  When the Fukshima Nuclear Catastrophe happened in March 2011 I googled the name of my novel (which was out of print, but had been purchased by many libraries).  It was still being sold as a used book by Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and survival sites.  So, over a period of time, I updated it and brought it out again as a 3rd edition in EBook and paperback formats.  (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004WDRWXY)

Now I was interested in not only nuclear problems, but the whole concept of public utilities and what they are up to WITH OUR MONEY.  Utilities are a monopoly.   About ten  years ago in California, someone decided to let electricity be sold to private companies and let those companies resell  it to consumers on a competitive basis.  Since I  managed apartment complexes, I loved it…..the utility bills at these complexes went down about 50%.  But someone important must have been losing money because that whole deal was abruptly cancelled and once again I had one company only that I could buy from at their prescribed mandatory rate.

And where does that rate come from?  There is a Public Utilities Commission.  And an advocate for the consumer (available for complaints).  Have you EVER gotten a response from the Public Utiities Commission or the consumer advocate?  I HAVE NOT AND I HAVE COPIES OF THE LETTERS AND FORMS I HAVE FILLED OUT AND SENT.

Published in the LA Times on 12/29/12 page A14 is the following statement:  “Utilities charge ratepayers for every dollar spent…for which the state of California guarantees utilities an annual return of 11% for 40 years”.  That guaranteed return is paid by YOU, THE UTILITY USER!.

And what return is available to you, the utility user, in your investments?  1/10 of one percent to 1% at a local bank. 4 to 5% in tax free bonds (some are insured).    Even junk bonds don’t pay much more in today’s economy.  SO WHY ARE UTILTIES GETTING 11% GUARANTEED FOR 40 YEARS?  Because they can, or have, or have someone in their  pocket.  Our state and federal deficits are HUGE.  I continually hear that we will have to cut medicare.  What about cutting the UTILTIES hold on us?  We are a prisoner that no one is interested in paroling.

I wrote the Public Utilities Commission and stated that our local water company (a public company) had shown profit increases of 20% per year and they were still increasing rates.  NO RESPONSE.  My water bill started out at $500 per month in the summer and went up to $3000 per month in the summer within 5 years, until I  gave up and started letting things die.  I certainly would not want to interfere with their necessary increased profits by demanding reasonable water rates.

Have you heard the rumor that the Japanese Mafia controls their nuclear/electric production?  And that is why even though they experienced the horrific  Fukushima nuclear plant disaster, after Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombs, there are still  public officials making the statements that they “cannot do without nuclear”.  It is my understanding that all their nuclear plants were shut down for almost a year after the disaster…..and they still had enough electricity for the nation.  Nuclear plants require a large investment of money – and then return a large amount of dollars to their owners.  Big Bucks for Big People.  What about the rest of us – the consumers who pay to make this happen.  We need to make our displeasure a priority. Cut utility returns in half and give half  of the savings to the consumer and half to the government and we would, as a nation, come out ahead.