Help Stop Nukes

1 Switch to a green electricity tariff – don’t buy nuclear electricity

The Green Electricity Marketplace (GEM) is one of the leading switching websites for green electricity tariffs, and unlike most other switching sites it is not just part of a general switching site. As a specialist in renewable energy GEM provides its own perspective on green tariffs.

But as green tariffs don't necessarily mean green electricity, before switching supplier check what electricity you'll actually get at: electricityinfo.org.

2 Give up Incandescent light bulbs

Replace your light bulbs with energy saving recommended ones: just one can reduce your lighting costs by up to £60 over the lifetime of the bulb - and they last up to 10 times longer than ordinary light bulbs.

See Energy Saving Trust.

3 Join the campaign to ban energy inefficient bulbs

In December 2007, Ireland became the first EU country to announce a ban on power-crazy incandescent bulbs in 2009. The UK government has announced a feeble voluntary phase-out by the end of 2011 despite many retailers fully supporting a mandatory ban. If energy-guzzling bulbs were extinct in the UK, we'd save enough electricity to close down one big power station.

Write to Joan Ruddock MP at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) who has special responsibility for climate change issues, and tell her that we need to make the switch.

See Greenpeace.

4 Save energy around the house

There are lots of other simple ways you can save energy around the house. For example televisions, videos, stereos, computers, and cordless phones don’t need to be left on standby.

See Energy Saving Trust

5 Energy saving electrical goods

If you need a new washing machine or fridge-freezer, energy saving appliances don’t necessarily cost any more, but they can save a large amount of energy.

See Energy Saving Trust.

6 Use a solar clothes dryer

Energy saving electrical goods are one thing, but perhaps you can do the job without using any electricity. ASDA sold more than 1.2m clothes pegs in the first four months of 2007, an increase of 1,400%, as people switched off their tumble dryers. Sales of washing lines and rotary dryers were up 147%. Join this growing movement.

See Daily Mail 13th June 2007.

7 Join the Energy Saving Trust campaign and commit to saving 20%

The EST’s “commit to save your 20%” campaign gives you extra ideas for saving energy – like washing your laundry at 30C

See Energy Saving Trust.

8 Put more insulation in your loft

Simply by insulating your loft to the recommended depth of 270mm, you can save wasted energy and money. You can even do it yourself!

270mm is more than 10 inches. Although your loft may already be insulated you might well find that the thickness of the insulation is only 4 inches.

See Energy Saving Trust.

9 Insulate Cavity Walls

Not having insulated cavity walls costs you money. Up to 33 per cent of the heat produced in your home is lost through the walls if you have an uninsulated cavity. Cavity wall insulation could save up to £90 per year.

See Energy Saving Trust.

10 Install a gas condensing boiler

If your gas central heating boiler is over 15 years old you should consider replacing it with a gas condensing boiler. These convert around 90% of the gas your burn into useful heat, compared with 60% for a conventional boiler.

See Energy Saving Trust.

11 Install a Micro-CHP boiler

Micro-Combined Heat and Power (CHP) is an innovative new technology, which has been identified as having significant potential to reduce carbon emissions. These boilers are very new and may be difficult to get hold of at the moment.

See: Micro combined heat & power

Check the Combined Heat and Power Association (CHPA) website for the latest information.

In December the CHPA said that some microCHP products are already on the market, and with the right incentives this technology can be a realistic proposition for individual homeowners.

There are several competing technologies based on the type of engine or turbine used as the prime mover. Types of micro CHP include; external combustion engines (Stirling and Rankine), internal combustion engines, and fuel cells. One unit would replace a conventional boiler, which have a current replacement rate of approximately 1.3 million units per year. These boilers work by capturing the steam which comes from the boiler and using it to drive a turbine which then produces electricity.

Delta Energy produced a Research Report in May 2007 which gives their assessment of the future prospects for this technology.

Also see Micropower Council and E.ON’s Whispergen Micro-CHP boiler.

12 Install a small-scale wind turbine

Small-scale building-integrated wind turbines suitable for urban locations are currently being developed and are starting to become be available to install in homes and other buildings.

See Energy Saving Trust

The Swift Rooftop Wind Energy System is just 2.1m in diameter and is rated at 1.5kW. When correctly sited it can save 2,000kWh per year.

See Renewable Devices

You can even buy a Windsave turbine at B&Q for £1,498. The manufacturers estimate that it can save 30 per cent of your annual electricity costs.

Also see: B&Q energy efficiency guide, which includes wind turbines

Proven Energy produces a range of different small-scale turbines.

The Renewable Energy Centre gives a list of small-scale wind suppliers, as does the British Wind Energy Association.

The BERR Low Carbon Buildings Programme website will help you find an installer.

Also see Micropower Council.

13 Install a solar water heating system

Solar water heating systems use heat from the sun to work alongside your conventional water heater. The technology is well developed with a large choice of equipment to suit many applications.

For more information look at The Energy Saving Trust (EST) website, and to check if you may be eligible for a grant.

The BERR Low Carbon Buildings Programme website will help you find a list of accredited installers.

The Renewable Energy Centre gives a list of domestic solar heating contractors.

In particular look at Solartwin, a system invented by an Edinburgh-based engineer and chosen by Edinburgh City Council for installation in sheltered housing at Saughton Mains. (See Microgen Scotland news.) The pump is powered by a small photovoltaic solar cell thus avoiding the need to connect the panels to mains elerctricity.

You can buy Solartwin panels and other solar water heating products at B&Q.

Also see the Micropower Council.

14 Install a combined boiler and solar hot water system

For major renovations you might want to find a company which manufactures highly efficient boilers and solar panels which work in conjunction with each other. The solar collector pre-heats water to feed into the boiler.

See for example the ferroli system which has been installed by Rutherglen and Cambuslang Housing Association, see Microgen Scotland news.

See also Worcester-Bosch.

15 Install solar photovoltaics

Solar PV (photovoltaic) uses energy from the sun to create electricity to run appliances and lighting. PV requires only daylight - not direct sunlight - to generate electricity. See Energy Saving Trust guide to PV and their information on grants.

The BERR Low Carbon Buildings Programme website will help you find a list of accredited installers and the Renewable Energy Centre gives a list of PV manufacturers and suppliers.

In particular see Solar Century.

Also see the Micropower Council.

16 Install a ground-source heat pump

Although we may not know it, heat pumps are very familiar to us - fridges and air conditioners are two examples. Ground source heat pumps (GSHP) transfer heat from the ground into a building to provide space heating and, in some cases, to pre-heat domestic hot water. See the Energy Saving Trust guide to ground source heat pumps and their information on grants.

The BERR Low Carbon Buildings Programme website will help you find a list of accredited installers and the Renewable Energy Centre gives a list of heat pump manufacturers and suppliers.

Also see the Micropower Council.

17 Install a Micro-hydro system

Hydro-power systems convert potential energy stored in water held at height to kinetic energy (or the energy used in movement) to turn a turbine to produce electricity. See the Energy Saving Trust guide and their information on grants.

The BERR Low Carbon Buildings Programme website will help you find a list of accredited installers and the Renewable Energy Centre gives a list of small-scale hydro manufacturers and suppliers.

Also see the Micropower Council.

18 Install Biomass Heating

Biomass is organic matter of recent origin. It doesn't include fossil fuels, which have taken millions of years to evolve. The CO2 released when energy is generated from biomass is balanced by that absorbed during the fuel's production. We call this a carbon neutral process. See Energy Saving Trust guide and their information on grants.

The BERR Low Carbon Buildings Programme website will help you find a list of accredited installers and the Renewable Energy Centre gives a list of biomass boiler manufacturers and suppliers.

Also see the Micropower Council.

19 Get informed about Microgeneration

For more information on microgeneration technologies see the Friends of the Earth Scotland briefing and a list of resources available.

The MicroGen Scotland website provides a weekly news update.

Watch the Greenpeace film “What are we waiting for?” and the “Convenient Solution”

Write to your MP (See No. 23) and ask him or her to watch the DVD of The Convenient Solution which they have been sent as part of a Greenpeace campaign.

20 Respond to Government Consultations

The most recent Government Consultation on the Future of Nuclear Power closed on 10th October 2007.

A consultation on nuclear waste closed on 2nd November 2007.

Watch out for future Consultations. See the latest news on Government Energy issue.

21 Respond to Industry Consultations

Other organizations, like the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) also run frequent consultations. The NDA is committed to running consultations under the Energy Act 2004 which set it up. Most recently the NDA has been running a consultation on its Draft Business Plan 2008/11 – this closed on 31st January 2008 – which suggested extending the life of the highly polluting Magnox Reprocessing Plant at Sellafield from 2012 to at least 2016. You can sign up to e-mail alerts on the NDA website.

22 Write to John Hutton, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform

Tel him what you think about his go-ahead for new reactors announced on 10th January 2008

The Rt Hon John Hutton MP
Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Department of Trade and Industry
1 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0ET
Email: huttonj@parliament.uk
Fax: 020 7215 5468

23 Write to Gordon Brown

Brown’s official e-mail page

24 Write to your MP

Type in your postcode below to find out who your MP is. You can also then contact them using the linked website or write to them at House of Commons, LONDON SW1A 0AA.

25 Write to your MSPs

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

or via the Scottish Parliament website

To find out who your MSPs are, type in your postcode below

26 Write to your AMs

The National Assembly for Wales,
Cardiff Bay,
Cardiff
CF99 1NA

or via the Welsh Assembly website

To find out who your AMs are, type in your postcode below:

27 Write to your MLAs

The Northern Ireland Assembly
Parliament Buildings
Belfast
BT4 3XX

or via the Northern Ireland Assembly website

To find out who your Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are, type in your postcode below:

28 Join your local anti-nuclear campaign

Local groups near nuclear sites include:

Stop Hinkley & Shut Down Oldbury
Shutdown Sizewell
Sellafield
Bradwell
Dungeness
Wylfa

And you can check for local Friends of the Earth, FoE Scotand
and Greenpeace groups.

29 Ask your MP to sign relevant Early Day Motions

For the session 2007/08:

EDM 736 – calls for a target of an 80% cut in carbon emissions to be included in the Climate Change Bill

EDM 673 – on the Public Sector Buildings (Energy Performance) Bill

EDM 631 – which says the case for nuclear energy has not been made

EDM 222 – support for the Microgeneration and Local Energy Bill

EDM 157 – calling for a 20% renewable energy target for 2020

EDM 118 on Microgeneration targets

30 Ask your MP to support the Planning and Energy Bill

The Association for Conservation of Energy (ACE) has joined forces with the Micropower Council and others to draft a Bill designed both to protect the Merton Rule and enact the provisions of the Local Planning Authorities: Energy and Energy Efficiency Bill. See ACE website for further details.

Ask your MP to sign EDM 195 on Local Planning Authorities, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

See e-Gov Monitor 7th Dec 2007

31 Ask your MSP to support the Energy Efficiency and Micro-generation Bill

This is a Scottish Parliament Members Bill being promoted by Sarah Boyack MSP. A consultation document is available. Further details at the Bills section of the Scottish Parliament website. Progress can be followed at Microgen Scotland.

32 Lobby your council to support microgeneration

Local government is uniquely placed with powers and services spanning the full range of activities which will need to be changed to achieve sustainability in energy. Local government, therefore, has a key role to play in helping to meet the UK’s climate change objectives. Working towards a low carbon future has multiple benefits for local authorities and their communities: improvements in health, community cohesion, social inclusion and quality of life.

There are already some excellent local authority climate change initiatives, which demonstrate that responding to the threats presents local authorities with opportunities to also reap benefits. One study suggests that if 250 councils adopted the London Borough of Merton's positive planning policy, which expects developers to incorporate renewable energy into new buildings, the market for these technologies could be increased from £35m to £750m.

See the Local Government Association’s Climate Change Commission Report.

Also: “Leading the way: How local authorities can meet the challenge of climate change”.
Local Government Association, Energy Saving Trust, and Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes, June 2005.

Ask your local authority to adopt the Merton Rule or in Scotland to implement Scottish Planning Policy Guidance (SPP6).

In Northern Ireland, lobby the environment Minister Peter Robinson to change his mind about the Merton Rule. See Ulster Herald 10th January 2008

33 Lobby your council to sign the Nottingham Declaration

So far, over 100 local authorities have signed the Nottingham Declaration, each pledging to actively tackle climate change within their area. If your local authority is yet to sign up, get your councillor to order a declaration information pack. This pack will show them how to develop a sustainable energy strategy, in areas such as housing and transport systems.

Find out who your councillor is below.

34 Lobby your council to join the solar cities movement

See Solar Cities Scotland

The 3rd International Solar Cities Congress will be held in Adelaide in February 2008

35 Lobby your council to join Nuclear Free Local Authorities

Around 70 UK local authorities support the Nuclear Free Local Authorities.

See Nuclear Free Local Authorities

36 Write to the newspapers

For addresses see Nuclear Free Local Authorities press guide.

Thanks to Google Alerts, it is now possible to know that in newspapers, magazines and blogs around the world, large numbers of articles, reports and comments are appearing that present nuclear power in a favourable light and gloss over its many problems. You can help with an easy-to-do online campaign to correct some of the misleading information that is being spread, and to raise awareness of a major alternative to nuclear power.

For more information see From Greenhouse To Green House

37 Sign a Petition

No new nuclear power stations in the UK

No return to nuclear power (option 10)

One million Europeans against nuclear power

No nuclear power in Wales

Sign the Nuclear Pledge

38 Say Yes to Wind

Harnessing the natural power of the wind is essential to tackle global warming. Britain has Europe's best wind energy resource - but wind power needs your support. Yes2Wind has answers to all your questions about wind energy, and lots of ways for you to say YES! to a clean energy future.

39 Embrace the Revolution

Embrace the Revolution is giving a voice to the silent majority who support wind energy. If you're in favour of wind energy, it's time to show your support.

40 Join WWF’s Campaign for a tough Climate Change Bill

The recent report, 80% Challenge: Delivering a low carbon Britain, published jointly by WWF-UK, Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), found that it is technically feasible and affordable for the UK to cut its CO2 emissions by at least 80% by 2050 - including our share of emissions from international aviation and without using new nuclear power.

Join WWF’s call for a stronger Climate Bill.

41 Get involved with Stop Climate Chaos

A coalition of more than 50 organisations which is calling on the government to:

Take a lead on the global stage, working for an international agreement to cut climate pollution. World-wide this must be in decline by 2015.

Cut the UK's emissions by at least 3% year on year.

Help the poorest countries get access to clean energy, help them cut out poverty and deal with the climate disasters they are already facing.

See I Count and Stop Climate Chaos Scotland.

42Take Action to support Greenpeace’s Climate Change Campaign

See What you can do about climate change and Take action.

43 Organise a showing of the Greenpeace DVD “The Convenient Solution”

See What you can do.

Write to Greenpeace at Canonbury Villas, London, N1 2PN and ask for a copy of the DVD. The discs also contain a copy of the early film: Decentralised Energy: What are we waiting for?

Greenpeace has sent a copy of the DVD to every MP. Ask your MP to watch it.

44 Join the Friends of the Earth Campaign for a stronger Climate Bill

See Is your MP supporting a strong Climate Bill for 2008?

Friends of the Earth research shows that we don’t need nuclear power to tackle climate change.

45 Join the Friends of the Earth Scotland campaign against nuclear power

See the FoE Scotland nuclear campaign.

FoE Scotland have produced a report, jointly with RSPB Scotland and WWF Scotland showing how Scotland can tackle climate change without nuclear power.

46 Get Informed

a) Nuclear Power is not a solution to climate change, Friends of the Earth, September 2007

b) Nuclear Power, Climate Change and the Energy Review, Friends of the Earth June 2006

c). Nuclear power undermines solutions to climate change, Greenpeace June 2005

d) The case against nuclear power, Greenpeace, January 2008

e) Is nuclear power a solution to climate change?, Pete Roche, April 2005

f) Nuclear Free Local Authorities New Nuclear Monitor briefings. See in particular No.8 Nuclear Power is not the solution to climate change, Nuclear Free Local Authorities May 2005

g) Nuclear is not the answer to climate change, Pete Roche, March 2007

47 Read the Government’s January 2008 White Paper on Nuclear Power

See the White Paper

48 Stay Informed

Visit the following websites to keep up to date with developments:

no2nuclearpower.org.uk including Daily News and quarterly Safe Energy Journals. You can sign up to receive both of these by e-mail.

nonewnukes.org.uk

no2nukes.com

49 Get informed about zero-carbon non-nuclear strategies

There is a long list of decarbonising strategy documents and scenarios available on the From Greenhouse to Green House website

See in particular:

Zero Carbon Britain

The WWF, RSPB, IPPR – 80% Challenge: Delivering a low carbon UK, October 2007

Carbon Free and Nuclear Free: A Roadmap for US Energy Policy, by Arjun Makhijani, IEER, 2007

Energy [R]evolution, Greenpeace International, European Renewable Energy Council, Jan 2007

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