The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) this morning (November 11) launched an all out attack on plans by energy and climate change secretary, Ed Miliband, which is already the subject of potential legal action by Greenpeace.

CIWEM executive director, Nick Reeves, while saying he ‘applauds the Government’s commitment to combat climate change and to ensure energy security’ also believes Britain can meet its targets ‘without building new nuclear power stations’.

Mr Reeves attacks Carbon Capture and Storage (CSS) for coal power stations as ‘well intentioned’ but without the science to back it up and therefore ‘misguided’.

He says: “The UK’s accessible offshore wind resource is potentially among the greatest in the world, and with a large tidal range and wide ocean swell window, we also has very significant tidal and wave resources.

“Like a craven alchemist Ed Miliband promises a new era of energy from coal without any idea of whether it is possible.

“Nuclear power is based on a finite resource that pollutes and perpetuates the current inefficient pattern of electricity generation.

“As it stands, the proposal would deflect scarce resources and attention away from the real solutions – renewables and energy efficiency.

“Many millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money will be diverted to developing uncertain technologies that could be better and more productively invested in technologies that actually work and provide a genuinely clean and sustainable source of energy.”

Mr Reeves also voiced concerns over the disposal of radioactive waste, the wider carbon emissions of uranium extraction and processing, and a lack of clarity regarding the availability of economically extractable uranium reserves.

CIWEM also stated it did not support Mr Miliband’s statement about nuclear power as a ‘proven, reliable source of low carbon energy’.

Luke Walsh

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