Nuclear power in the papers

national | environment | opinion/analysis Thursday January 12, 2006 20:34 by marcus

Veronica McDermott is a rep for BNFL in Ireland and has had an article in the Sunday Business Post (10/12/06) and been heavily quoted in an article in the Sunday Independent (08/01/06) both of which promote nuclear power as a real option and both of which only refer to her as a public affairs consultant. this along with David McWilliams article a few weeks ago shows that there is a pro-nuclear agenda being pushed in our papers preparing the nuclear industry to pounce when energy becomes a major issue.

Veronica McDermott has appeared in the Sunday Business Post (10/12/06) and was quoted at length in the Sunday Independent (08/01/06)last week defending nuclear power. Neither paper mentioned that she is a BNFL rep in Ireland something easily found out by a word search of her name. She is called a public affairs consultant in both articles. In the sbp article she goes on about climate change then ridicules the alternatives: “we are treated to fantastic delusions about Ireland's wave and wind resources powering the universe, which is entirely possible in theory, but hardly practical in reality”, explaining in detail who around Europe is now planning on building new plants. This is the same tactic used by the incineration industry and those pushing for it, using examples of incinerators around Europe but neglecting to mention those who do not feel the need for them due to adequate recycling. I wrote a letter to the sbp - not printed and this weeks Sun Indo - will see if printed, highlighting the fact that Germany is planning on phasing out its nuclear programme by 2020, Sweden is planning on being fossil fuel-free in 15 years without new nuclear stations and that over 50,000 people are employed in the wind industry in Denmark.
David McWilliams wrote an article a while back for the sbp, referred to in last Sunday’s Independent article about the necessity of nuclear stations in the future in Ireland. Another article appeared in the Herald on Wed. (11/01/06) ridiculing our use of nuclear energy from Britain and our unwillingness to build a station ourselves.
We could be net exporters of wind and undercut BNFL with proper investment. This would require a change in government but if these guys are still in power in five years we could seriously be looking at the nuclear option being proposed, when fuel prices have risen sharply. Goldsmith-Sachs have predicted oil to reach $100 a barrel by 2010. At present, as far as i am aware, the ESB have no real plans to start building wind turbines, instead relying on Airtricity and other private companies to do so. This week we saw Airtricity announcing more turbines but it would be better if our energy was in our own hands and not being controlled by the private sector. Another factor that cannot be forgotten is that if another right-wing government comes in after the next election we will probably see the ESB privatised, like Aer Lingus it will be to boost the coffers for a big give away/pay off to get re-elected. This will totally take control of energy, out of our hands.
Ms. McDermott is trying to scare the public early without giving her full credentials and vested interest;
another article explains how she helped a former press agent for Sellafield get elected for New Labour last May. This government has the foresight of a goldfish and is easily lead by big business
when in trouble e.g. incinerators, when waste became an issue. If Ms McDermott and Mr. McWilliams
keep pumping out this one sided misinformation we could be looking at a nuclear station up and ready within fifteen years. Blair used the window of fear from increased gas prices - directly related to the British privatization of its energy system where gas was 160 a litre at that point, whereas it was still only 60cents a litre in Holland, where there was no privatization. As well as new gas storage facilities being built within three years which will pretty much prevent a repeat of the same gas crisis -to announce his plans for new nuclear stations or a ‘review’ in spin talk. Incidentally did anybody catch Kay Burley of Sky News that day harassing the Greenpeace rep live on air not allowing him finish his points and making it appear that he was the protagonist it was like a scene directly out of “Outfoxed - Rupert Murdock’s war on Journalism’ which I have a copy of if anybody is interested.
Our government will use the same tactics, when the people are feeling insecure, that is when the announcement will be made. As with incineration facts like wind produces five times the power, for the same expense as nuclear, will be lost in waves of paranoia revolving around images of old women freezing to death in their beds pumped out by Ms McDermott and co.
Many readers may not believe in the democratic process but if you don't vote for anybody other than FF,FG, or the PDs there is a very real possibility of a nuclear station being built here by 2020. I reckon that it will be a FF/Labour coalition next term but Patricia McKenna highlighted that Pat Rabitte voted for a pro nuclear plan in Europe in '94 (I cannot quite remember the full circumstances maybe somebody else can fill in the full story), which lost him his seat so if you don't trust them vote for somebody else.
The media battle has begun, subversively with Ms McDermott and with the cold, logical, rational that only an economist like Mr. McWilliams can express. Of course if a plant is ever built I feel all those who are in favour of it and those who have fought against wind turbines should be made move within fifty miles of it. I wonder if Mr. McWilliams would be so pro-nuclear if he had one out his back. When a New Labour minister was asked about how he would feel if a nuclear power station were to built in his neighbourhood he replied that existing sites have worked fine up to now and would see no point in moving existing power stations. Reading between the lines this means; let the Celts have them, there is one station in Scotland all of whose energy goes to England. Nuclear stations in your area discourage other businesses moving in thus leading to total dependence by the locals, a fact which seems to be exploited by Ms McDermott in this article: http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2005/05/01/story4413.asp