Human Rights Online Philippines

Nuke is the Past, Renewable is the Future!

Let us not retrogress by embracing nuclear power plants when most nations are turning their backs on this technology and have since embraced renewable solutions since the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011.

Let us remember that scientists have still to provide a suitable solution to the radiated water leaking onto the Pacific from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima prefecture, Japan. It is estimated that more than 3 million irradiated or contaminated water has found its way to the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima Nuclear Plant.

Let us not invite trouble to befall our nation in putting up our own nuclear power plant, whether they be located on land or floating over water like the Russian model.

Nuclear Free Bataan Movement urges Philippine Energy Secretary Cusi to put the 200,000 MW renewable energy potential (combined wind, solar, hydro, biomass, and geothermal capacity) of the country into fruition. We need to learn from other countries’ experiences like Japan (Fukushima), Russia (Chernobyl), the US (Three Mile Island), and our historic stance as a people that resulted in the mothballing of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

We believe the need for new power plants, especially a nuclear power plant, is being bloated. It is business interests and not public interest that drives this development– same with the expansion of coal plants in the province of Bataan, regardless of its impact on health, economic sustenance of affected communities, not the general public that will benefit with the expansion of coal plants in Bataan despite adverse health and economic impact onto the general public.

Our current energy strategies are short-sighted and not even taking into account that the world has less than 12 years before we reach a critical point regarding climate change.

We believe that the current government is banking on blindsiding the Filipino people by fast-tracking its push to go nuclear, relying on its heavy-handed and punitive reprimand of critics to silence any opposing voices.

We echo the words of former Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan that nuclear power is unsafe and too expensive to build anywhere in the world.

The International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale classifies the Fukushima Daiichi incident and Chernobyl (1986) as major nuclear accidents. These are events that involve the major release of radioactive material with widespread health and environmental effects requiring the implementation of planned and extended countermeasures.

We can only imagine the extent of devastation if a similar event occurs in the Philippines. No amount of technical expertise can enable us to cope with this worst case scenario.

October 2, 2020
Reference: Francisco Honra
Secretary General, NFBM

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