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Preamble
Nuclear power is one of the lowest-carbon sources of electricity, as recognized by IPCC and United Nations ECE. A majority of Canadians support using nuclear energy to generate electricity.
Proposal text
Green Party of Canada WILL CEASE BLANKET-OPPOSITION TO NUCLEAR POWER AS A SOURCE OF LOW-CARBON ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION.
Type of Proposal
Public policy that the party would represent.
Objective / Benefit
This resolution is intended to withdraw existing GPC policies which oppose Canada's use of nuclear technologies for non-military purposes. GPC policies which impede nuclear by calling for "renewable" energy shall be updated to replace "renewable" with "clean".
If your proposal replaces an existing policy or policies, which one does it replace?
1996 Foreign Aid - repeal
G06-p11 Enhanced Nuclear Policy - repeal
1998 - Peace and Security - repeal
G08-p012 Nuclear Power - repeal
G10-p31 Carbon Free National Feed-in Tariff - Amend: remove "non-nuclear,"
G08-136 Energy Transition Plan - Amend: change "renewable energy" to "clean energy"
G08-p137 Support of Distributed Electrical Power Grid Research - Amend: change "renewable energy" to "clean energy"
List any supporting evidence for your proposal
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe issued a report comparing not just lifecycle carbon emissions for various electricity sources, but overall impact on the environment and human health. Nuclear power was the single lowest CO2eq /kWh electricity source studied. The single lowest impact on ecosystems. And among the very lowest impact on human health. (CO2: Page 8. Ecosystems: Page 57. Human health: Page 58.) https://unece.org/sed/documents/2021/10/reports/life-cycle-assessment-electricity-generation-options
Our World In Data summarizes a modern assessment of various electricity system's safety and cleanliness. While not as in-depth or recent as UN ECE's study, Our World In Data clearly positioned nuclear in 2020 as one of humanity's safest and cleanest energy sources. https://ourworldindata.org/safest-sources-of-energy
Despite his continued opposition to nuclear power, Dr. Gordon Edwards acknowledges "Low-carbon emitting technologies include solar, wind, hydro and nuclear" in a 2021 briefing paper. https://www.ourcommons.ca/content/Committee/441/ENVI/WebDoc/WD11891319/11891319/RamanaMV-1-e.pdf
In GPC's "Roundtable on Canada's Nuclear Policy" Dr. Gordon Edward observes that splitting atoms for energy does not release carbon. (Excerpt with my commentary:) https://youtu.be/HKIcnbMMdO0?t=24 (Original video:) https://www.facebook.com/GreenPartyofCanada/videos/934857067289154/
The nuclear supply chain for CANDU refurbishments is 98% Canadian. https://www.opg.com/documents/2021-ontario-nuclear-collaboration-report/
This can be contrasted with other low (but not as low as nuclear) carbon energy sources where components are not domestically produced, such as wind turbines: https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/79fdad93-9025-49ad-ba16-c26d718cc070
Nuclear's domestic, Canadian, supply chain still achieves a cost /kWh only beaten by hydropower. https://www.oeb.ca/sites/default/files/rpp-price-report-20211022.pdf
On April 23, 2023, Dr. Chris Keefer debated Dr. Gordon Edwards on the subject of nuclear power in Canada. This was the "Roundtable on Canada's Nuclear Policy" that GPC members might have experienced, if a single pro-nuclear voice had been allowed to participate. https://youtu.be/LvMC8TK025w
Angus Reid Institute finds increasing support from Canadians for nuclear power. In June 2021, 51% of Canadians said they would like to see further development of nuclear power generation. Now 57% say the same. https://angusreid.org/canada-energy-nuclear-power-oil-and-gas-wind-solar/
This 57% of Canadians supporting nuclear matches a similar trend in the United States, where also now 57% support nuclear power. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/08/18/growing-share-of-americans-favor-more-nuclear-power/
Germany serves as a cautionary tale that renewables have not replaced their nuclear fleet. This video details use on online grid monitoring tools to evaluate Elizabeth May's statement (made during COP28) that shutting down nuclear power has "freed up" the grid to accept renewable energy, while not also noting that German grid remains high-carbon, and Germany immediately transitioned (upon the closure of their last nuclear power plants) from being net-exporter of electricity to net-importer of electricity. https://youtu.be/8rcMwmGuGSo
Does this proposal affect any particular group and what efforts have been made to consult with the group or groups?
N/A
Jurisdiction: Is this proposal under federal jurisdiction?
Yes
Please indicate the language the proposal is being submitted in.
English
This proposal is being evaluated
Posted on the Continuous Motion Development Vote tab for member review prior to the all-member vote.
Amendments (3)
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Created at
05/07/2024 -
- 6
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Created at
27/02/2024 -
- 0
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Created at
05/07/2024 -
- 0
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Conversation with Boyd Reimer
Renewable energy apparatus does not involve any radiation that can be carried by wind and water.
On the other hand, if there’s a significant nuclear malfunction, imagine what would happen to the real estate values of all the home owners and business owners within a 50 kilometre radius of Pickering Nuclear Power Plant….which is the entire Greater Toronto Area!
Is a dollar figure for that even fathomable?
In 2009 Harper put the cap at a mere $650 million for which the industry is liable.
Here is a quote from the 2009 Toronto Star article:
“"Under any scenario of a major nuclear accident happening within Canadian nuclear facilities, you can crack through $650 million without breaking a sweat," said B.C. MP Nathan Cullen, the New Democrat for Skeena-Bulkley Valley, who's on the parliamentary committee combing through the bill. The difference between a $650 million event and a multibillion-dollar catastrophe, he said, can be determined by the direction and speed of the wind that carries the radiation.”
See link:
https://www.thestar.com/business/how-much-would-a-nuclear-meltdown-cost/article_f452c249-65c7-556d-ae93-94eef2c9d3bc.html
Renewable energy apparatus does not involve any radiation that can be carried by wind and water.
In terms of differences in liability costs between renewables and nuclear, there’s really no comparison.
Listening to the news these days of wars and rumours of wars will confirm that there are always state actors and non state actors willing to show disregard for nuclear safety.
Do we really want that gamble just because it hasn’t happened “yet?” Desperate actors are everywhere right now: Just look at the disregard for human safety that Russia is presently showing at the site of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant See link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-russia-day-271-1.6658116
See excerpt from Mark Jacobson's book, "No Miracles Needed,"pg 171 mentions an example: "an airplane flown into a reactor."
About radiation dangers: See excerpt from Mark Jacobson's book, "No Miracles Needed, : pg 171:
Quote about Fukushima meltdown: "At least on nuclear plant worker died from lung cancer from direct radiation exposure. (footnote 174)"....The radiation release created a dead zone around the reactors that may not be safe to inhabit for decades to centuries. The radiation also poisoned the water and food supplies in and around Tokyo. ....It is estimated that 130 (15 to 1,100) radiation -related deaths and 180 (24 to 1,800) radiation-related illnesses will occur worldwide...."(footnote 167)
See link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MqLEnAGz4ormCn1KZarQB1RqBW2VPlwMf1XDIBgi0Ck/edit
Another quote: "The cost of the cleanup of the Fukishima reactors and the surrounding area is estimated at $460 to $640 billion.(footnote 168)" That's a thousand times more than the $650 million Harper set as a ceiling for the industries share of liability costs in 2009:
This means that taxpayers will be paying a thousand times more than companies like "GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Canada." GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Canada, mentioned in the Star article, is a private company, not the government. They will be laughing their way to the bank while taxpayers pay a thousand times more for cleanup than they do. See Star article link: https://www.thestar.com/business/how-much-would-a-nuclear-meltdown-cost/article_f452c249-65c7-556d-ae93-94eef2c9d3bc.html
Boyd, do you care to explain exactly how a CANDU is going to explode and scatter radiation? It is just a small technical question that you clearly must have an answer to. If you don't have an explanation, then maybe you should stop broadcasting scary science-fiction stories as your contribution to the policy discussion.
By the way, what you call the "the industry" is actually the Government of Ontario. WE designed, built, and paid for the plants to provide us with electricity.
It was brilliant Canadian engineers and scientists and a terrifically skilled workforce that gave us what we have. It was not cheap Chinese labour or some fly-by-night subsidy-seeking gas operator.
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