Open letter to world leaders calls for an end of the threat of nuclear power
This “Open Letter” below was drafted by Green Peace International and was sent to the 300 member organization of the international Tcktcktck global campaign to give to our world leaders. World Team Now is about making team work, so we signed this open letter, along with many global activists, entertainers, peace keepers, and other NGO’s. The common thread is clear when the majority of Non Governmental Organizations (NGO) signatories to this international letter are from Russia, the former Soviet Union, and Korea. World Team Now is a stand for renewable energy, this does not include nuclear energy, and we have made our stand clear over a year ago by signing this national letter to President Obama and this recent international letter for our World Leaders. The ramifications of nuclear power live beyond these divisions of territories and human life — the use of nuclear power is a world issue. World Team Now contributed to Green Peace this summary paragraph:
It’s time to make a change, and World Team Now supports real renewable energy solutions. It is impossible to engineer for a “black swan” (heavy tailed probability distribution) and there is also still the conundrum of radioactive wastes, high risk, and ridiculous expense with nuclear energy. Let’s use our resources to combine the real renewable energy solutions; solar, wind, tidal, heat coolant geothermal together and “teamed up” to help us live in better balance with our resources, for global transformation.
Suzanne Maxx
World Team Now
Founder/President/Chair
Open letter to: World leaders
Subject: The risks of nuclear reactors
7 March 2012
On behalf of the millions of people in the world who live with the threat of a nuclear disaster ruining their lives, we are writing to ask you to recognize that now is the time to put people ahead of the nuclear industry and hold the industry fully liable for the risks and damages of its disasters. It is time to remove the risks of nuclear from people’s lives and shift our economies to clean, safe energy systems.
The earthquake and tsunami that devastated the east coast of Japan almost a year ago exposed the serious failures in the system for regulating nuclear reactors and for protecting people from nuclear accidents.
Tens of thousands died as a result of the destruction of the earthquake and tsunami. Hundreds of thousands continue to suffer from their impacts and also from the nuclear disaster that followed. Our thoughts remain with all those affected by these disasters.
The main lesson from the Fukushima nuclear disaster is that the significant failure of the institutions that were supposed to protect people from such an accident in fact enabled it. Years before the disaster, the risks of earthquakes and tsunamis were well known. Yet, the nuclear industry and its regulators chose to ignore the dangers.
The first to suffer from their negligence were first responders such as plant workers and firefighters who risked their health and even their lives to reduce the radiation risks for others.
Despite their efforts, more than 150,000 people have been forced to leave areas with the highest levels of radiation — losing their homes, communities and livelihoods. Many more still live in contaminated areas including pregnant women and children who are more vulnerable to the effects of radiation exposure.
The overall costs of the Fukushima accident, including compensation and decommissioning the Daiichi plant’s six reactors, have been projected to reach $500 to $650 billion US dollars. Japanese law makes a nuclear operator fully liable for all the costs of a disaster, but in practice the Japanese people will end up paying almost all of the costs out of their taxes, not the nuclear industry.
The mistakes in Japan are repeated in every country in the world with nuclear reactors. No reactor is safe, and no regulatory system ensures safety. Millions of people are at risk, since at any time, any reactor could have a serious accident. Furthermore, even after 60 years of nuclear power, no one in the world can look us in the eye and say that a secure, long-term solution to storing radioactive waste exists. This highly hazardous waste must be stored safely for hundreds of
thousands of years.
The nuclear industry often claims, incorrectly, that nuclear energy is needed to combat climate change. On the contrary, expensive and dangerous nuclear power diverts investment from renewable energy — the real solution to climate change.
Yet, in every country, decision makers and regulators are more concerned about protecting the profits of the nuclear industry than in fulfilling their responsibility to protect people.
It is now time to put people first.
Signed
Kumi Naidoo, ED Greenpeace International
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laurate, 1984
Josh Karliner, International Team Coordinator, Health Care Without Harm
Joanna Kerr, Chief Executive, Action Aid
Erich Pica, President, Friends of the Earth
Oliver Tickell, Founder, Kyoto2
Helen Kelly, President, Council of Trade Unions, New Zealand
Kjeld Jakobsen, President, Insitituto para o Desenvovvimento da Cooperacao e Relacoes internationais
Ingrid Srinath, Secretary General, CIVICUS
Senator Bob Brown, Leader, Green Party Australia
Richard Harvey, International Human Rights Lawyer
Suzanne Maxx, Founder/President, World Team Now
Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, President, African Monitor
Kelly Rigg, Founding Director, Varda Group
Rosa Lizarde, Global Coordinator, Feminist Task Force of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty
Senator Doug Cameron, Senator from New South Wales, Labour Party Australia
Ralph Nader, American political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney
Marina Silva, Brazilian environmentalist and politician (running in the 2010 Brazilian elections)
Robert Weissman, President, Public Citizen US-Organisation
John Hall, Former U.S. Congressman
Ed Begley, Jr., Actor/Activist, acting in famous US television series St. Elsewhere
Mike Farrell, Actor/Activist, best known for his role in the television series M*A*S*H (1975–83)
Peter Yarrow, Singer/Activist, part of folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary
Alek sey Yablokov, Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO
Askhat Kayumov, Ecological center “Dront”, Russia
Elena Stepanova, Russian Physicians for ecology
Milya Kabirova, Russian Nuclear Victims Organization “AIGUL’
Andrey Laletin, Friends of the Siberian Forests, Russia
Alexey Zimenko, Russian, Biodiversity Conservation Center
Natalia Mironova, Russian Movement for Nuclear Safety and Institute of Public Policy and Law, Russia
Andrey Talevlin, Russian Fund for Nature
Feodor Kronikovsky, Russian Ecological group “Taiga”
Boris Rezhabek, North-Caucasian Department of International Ecological Fund and Institute
Noosperical Research and Investigation, Russia
Mikhail Piskunov, Russian Center for Assistance to Citizen Initiatives
Aleksandr Zaytsev, Murmansk regional public organization “Kola Environmental Centre”, Russia
Nikolai Zubov, Krasnoyarsk regional public organization «Krasnoyarsk Regional Ecological Union», Russia
Alexey Toropov, Siberian Ecological Agency, Russia
Ms. Young-sun JI, Co-representative, Korea Federation of Environmental Movement (KFEM)
Mr. Nam Boo-Won, National General Secretary, YMCA of Korea
Ms. Mee-Jung Nam/Ms. Young-Sook Park, Co-representatives, Korean Women’s Environmental Network
Father Hong-Pyo Park, Chairman, No Nukes Samchuck Coalition, Korea
Prof. Ik-Jung Kim, Chairman, Gyung Ju Branch of Korea Federation of Environmental Movement, Korea
Dr. Byungok Ahn, Head, Institute for Climate Change Action, Korea
Ms. Younghee Kim, Representative Lawyer, Lawyers Association for Nuke-free Korea
Dr. Do-Myung Paek, Chairman, Korean Doctors Association for Nuke-free society, Korea
Prof. Moo-Young Choi, Co-Chairman, Korean Professors Association for Nuke-free and Energy, Korea
Mr. Anselmo Lee, Managin-Director, Korea Human Rights Foundation, Korea
Father Kyu-hyun Mun, Director, Majungmool for Life & Peace, Korea
Ms. Sohee Im, Secretary General, Naummmunhwa Global Peace Activities, Korea
Mr. Heon-Seok Lee, Representative, Energy Justice Actions, Korea
Mr. Jin-Young Jeong, Chairman, Korean Teacher’s Organization for Ecological Education and Activity, Korea
Mr. Yong-Hwi Kim, Secretary General, Cheondogyo Hanwool-Yeondae, Korea
Mr. Seung-Jo Roh, Representative, Climate & Energy Center, Korea
Mr. Kwang-soo Choi, Representative, Ecobuddha, Korea
Adenex, José María González/President, Spanish environmental NGO
Ecologistas en Acción, Francisco Segura/ Coordinator ,Spanish environmental NGO
Bonnie Raitt
