Green Party ends its long opposition to nuclear power
UK Green party drops longstanding opposition to nuclear power
Members of the Green Party of England and Wales voted at conference to drop their blanket opposition to nuclear fission, committing instead to weigh nuclear projects case by case alongside other low-carbon options. Offshore wind, onshore wind and rooftop solar remain the priority, but elected representatives can now back new reactors where the evidence supports it. MP Carla Denyer framed the shift as accepting that nuclear is here to stay for now during the transition to renewables.
We are at the throw-the-kitchen-sink-at-it phase of the climate crisis where you cannot be ruling anything out.
- silver92bullet
I think a lot of Anti Nuclear Power is based off old designs that weren't as safe and had radioactive byproduct I think newer reactor designs take a lot of bite out of that process. Additionally when you look at what is proposed to happen with Fusion reactors in Virginia in the next couple years it becomes a less popular position to be in opposition.
- apexalpha
It's admirable they changed their stance but good Lord they are slow learners...
- droppedasbaby
I've never understood the opposition to nuclear power. Was this a reaction to Chernobyl or did it start earlier?
- dumberquestions
I wish this happened decades ago because I'm not so sure fission can compete with renewables anymore given cost and time to build.
- FailMore
Strange to me this is high on HN. #1 The Greens are a niche party in the UK. #2 this is from Mon 5 Oct.
- cedws
Why is war never a factor in the nuclear power debate? Like nuclear is great, until you have missiles dropping on your territory. You can ask Ukraine about that. Zaporizhia has been held hostage since the early days of the war. Should the Russians have a manic moment they can make a Chernobyl volume 2 with conventional explosives.
Nuclear is a great peacetime technology, Europe is no longer in peacetime.
- nephihaha
Green Party of England and Wales.
Both Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own Green Parties. There is no single UK Green Party.
- UltraSane
It would have been a lot more green to have replaced all coal and gas electricity with nuclear.