Nuclear power expansion will leave toxic legacy for future generations
Nuclear power is unsafe and leaves a long and toxic legacy, say the Scottish Greens. The Party has called on the UK government to shelve plans for a major expansion of nuclear energy.
At the COP28 climate conference in November the UK pledged to triple nuclear power by 2050. Today it has announced plans for the biggest nuclear expansion for 70 years.
The Scottish Greens climate and energy spokesperson, Mark Ruskell MSP, said: “There is nothing green about nuclear power. It is unsafe, inefficient and unreliable. It will leave a long and toxic legacy for future generations.
“The UK government’s plans are no solution to the climate crisis. Hinkley Point has been a disastrous money pit. The last thing we need is to throw even more money at a costly and unreliable energy source that will take years to go on stream.
“There is no time to waste. Environmental breakdown is happening all around us and we can all see the impact. This is when all governments should be investing in clean green renewable energy, which is the safest and cheapest energy available.
“That is what we are doing with Scottish Greens in government in Scotland. Instead Westminster is planning to take a big step backwards by wasting billions of pounds on nuclear technology and hoping for the best.”