- Tony Blair has ruled out making changes to "living
standards" to tackle global warming, and is drawing up plans to build
a new generation of nuclear power stations to reduce carbon dioxide emissions
instead.
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- The Prime Minister has personally endorsed "keeping
the nuclear option open" and is planning a government statement on
a change of policy before the summer, in the face of opposition from cabinet
ministers, including Margaret Beckett, the Secretary of State for the Environment.
Mr Blair's decision to revive the nuclear agenda was revealed two weeks
ago by The Independent which reported that Mr Blair's own strategy unit
was working on it.
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- Yesterday, a leaked government briefing document disclosed
that the nuclear option would be looked at soon after Parliament returns.
A paper by departmental civil servants for Alan Johnson, the new Secretary
of State for Productivity Energy and Industry, proposes that building more
nuclear power plants or extending the lives of present ones should be a
top priority for the first months of Labour's third term. It stresses the
"need to act soon" and says there is a "case for looking
at the nuclear question quickly".
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- The paper says: "This formula to 'keep the nuclear
option open' was a compromise endorsed by the PM, between ministers for
and against. The question is whether we need to decide now (bearing in
mind that it is generally easier to push ahead on controversial issues
early in a new Parliament).
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- It says nuclear should be looked at as an option for
tackling climate change and protecting the energy supply. But it adds:
"CO2 emissions have been rising in recent years. We look to be falling
well short of the goal to cut them by 20 per cent by 2010."
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- The revival of nuclear power is bolstered by the Prime
Minister's admission that he is opposed to asking people to make changes
to their lifestyle - such as buying energy-efficient refrigerators or taking
the Eurostar instead of flights to Europe - to reduce global warming. Mr
Blair has said publicly there is no political will to force people to make
lifestyle changes to less fuel-hungry cars or energy-efficient lightbulbs.
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- His remarks infuriated the Green movement: Stephen Tindale,
director of Greenpeace, said: "He is implying that anyone who is against
nuclear is in favour of making people go back and live in caves. It's absolutely
ridiculous. He is saying he is not asking anyone to make any choices to
protect the living standards of children in the future."
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- The move to build more nuclear power stations while discounting
lifestyle changes is also opposed by Labour MPs and Whitehall officials.
Civil servants say it could weaken the Government's case against nuclear
proliferation involving states such as Iran and North Korea. They criticised
Mr Blair for ruling out "lifestyle changes".
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- One said: "Getting an energy-efficient fridge is
not going to change lifestyle. The push for nuclear is coming from the
nuclear companies and their fellow-travellers in Government. There is no
real urgency to take this particular decision, especially if it spreads
yet more confusion. It could destroy UK credibility on climate change during
the G8 and EU presidency."
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- ©2005 Independent News & Media (UK) Ltd.
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- http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=636853
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