Tony Blair does nothing for the environment


I’m not surprised that Tony Blair has come out and basically said he’ll be ordering new nuclear power stations without waiting for his own energy review or listening to any of the arguments against. I am very angry, though, particularly as it’s mostly posturing.

BBC political correspondent Carole Walker said she believed Mr Blair had been happy to stir up a “whole storm of controversies” this week, on issues such as animal experimentation.

She said the prime minister wanted to show he was ready to take on controversial decisions.

She said: “He cannot afford to be seen as somebody who is simply languishing in Number 10 while people are waiting for his days to be over.

“He is trying to distract from all the speculation there is about when he is going to go.”

I’m with CND chairwoman Kate Hudson-

“Nuclear power does not make economic or environmental sense. The amount of money invested in producing nuclear power could produce far more sustainable energy, much more rapidly.”

It’s been pointed out that many ministers who were for a more sensible energy policy were dumped in the post-local election reshuffle. The former environmental minister has made his feelings on the matter known.

[Elliot Morley] told The Guardian newspaper the energy review, which is headed by Department of Trade and Industry Minister Malcolm Wicks, might well point to renewable sources of energy if it was “open, transparent and fair”.

He complained that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had not had the involvement it should in the technical aspects of the review.

He had seen no official government figures on the real cost of nuclear power.

Mr Morley said: “To have new nuclear power is going to involve very large sums of money.

“If nuclear power was so great then you would have the private sector willing to invest in it.

“The reality is that economically the risks are great and the returns are low.

“No private sector company is going to take on the long-term risks, the cost of decommissioning, the storage, reprocessing and the responsibility for the waste.”

I despair, I really do. Time for Tony Blair, and the rest of his government for good measure, to go.

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