arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

For Mother Earth, an NGO campaigning on disarmament, human rights and ecology, was demonstrating against Finnish plans to build a 5th nuclear reactor at the Finnish Embassy in Brussels today. An appeal to the Finnish Parliament, signed by 33 Belgian organisations, was given to the Embassy. In addition to representatives of For Mother Earth, also the Finnish Santa Claus had come to stand in front of the Embassy, giving out yellow radioactive presents to children and other passers-by. The Finnish Parliament will vote about a building permission for the 5th nuclear reactor next week Friday (24th May 2002).

Amongst the signatories of the appeal there are e.g. peace, ecological, and youth organisations. It has also been signed by the environmental umbrella organisation Bond Beter Leefmilieu which has more than 100 member organisations. Through these organisations thousands of Belgians are opposing the Finnish plans to expand the use of nuclear energy.

While Finland is considering to build more nuclear power, Belgium has already taken the final decision of phasing out nuclear energy. Belgium took this decision last March, and will give up nuclear power when the nuclear power plants of Doel and Tihange achieve the age of 40 years. Next to Belgium also Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden have already decided to phase out nuclear power.

"It is shocking that Finland, a country known from it's advanced high technology, is considering to rely on such a polluting and risky source of energy as nuclear power", says the spokes person of For Mother Earth. "Nuclear power is not environmental. Finnish nuclear power is already continuously contaminating the environment with radioactivity at the uranium mining areas in Canada, Australia and Russia. Nuclear waste will be a burden for the future generations for hundreds of thousands, even millions of years. There's a risk of a nuclear accident during every step of the nuclear fuel cycle from uranium mining to storing nuclear waste."

"Nuclear power is not that economical either. In Finland the illusion of cheap nuclear energy is based amongst other things on underestimating the costs of nuclear waste management and decomissioning of nuclear power plants. Also, in Finland the nuclear industry doesn't have much financial responsibility in case of a nuclear accident, but the heavy costs would have to be payed by the state."

As a high technology country Finland has really good resources to develop new renewable energy technologies. Renewable energy technologies could even become a great export item for Finland in nuclear phase-out minded Europe. According to the Finnish Ministry of Trade and Industry renewable energy also creates more employment than nuclear power.

The radioactive presents handed out by the Santa Claus in front of the Finnish Embassy read: "Do not open for several million years!" Half lifes of radioactive materials are listed on the side of the yellow package which also reads: "Do not give to terrorists or nuclear weapon states, as small parts can be used to make nuclear weapons."

More information:

For Mother Earth
Tel: 09-242.87.52 or 0473-85.35.45 (Katri Silvonen)
E-mail: katri@motherearth.org
http://www.motherearth.org