At the 6th Conference of the Parties (COP6) in The Hague, environment ministers are once more debating strategies for tackling the greenhouse effect. The nuclear industry has lobbied hard for nukes to receive carbon credits under the Flexible Mechanisms. Meanwhile, activists from all over the world are gathering for the Rising Tide Climate Festival.
(538.5216) WISE Amsterdam - Recent storms in northwestern Europe provide yet more evidence that climate change is a reality. The nuclear industry argues that only nukes can generate enough CO2-free energy in time to enable the Kyoto targets to be met, and therefore nukes must be part of the solution to climate change. These arguments are false: the nuclear cycle does involve CO2 emissions, quite apart from the fact that nuclear power is expensive, dangerous and burdens future generations with radioactive waste.
Nevertheless, many countries are pressing for the inclusion of nukes in the Flexible Mechanisms. These mechanisms include Joint Implementation, where CO2 emissions are traded between industrialized countries, and the Clean Development Mechanism, where credits are claimed from reducing CO2 emissions in developing countries. The details of these mechanisms are to be worked out at the COP6 conference at The Hague from 13-24 November.
Meanwhile, activists from all over the world are gathering for the Rising Tide Climate Festival (www.risingtide.nl). 13 November is the Anti-Nuclear Action Day, when the focus will be on trying to stop the inclusion of nukes in the Flexible Mechanisms. WISE will however have an office in The Hague during the whole of the conference, and will organize a variety of anti-nuke activities, from film festivals, exhibitions, workshops, actions, to talks with delegates. Details will be available on the WISE web site.
For more information about the progress and outcome of the COP6 conference, see the Independent Media web site www.climateconference.org. Online models of climate change are also available at the web site www.chooseclimate.org/appv3/. A guide to the issues is available at squat.net/climate/issues.htm. Oh yes, and check out www.cop6.nl ...
Source and contact: WISE Amsterdam.