CAMPAIGNERS have called for a ban on a seminar on nuclear energy at the UK's biggest conference on green energy being launched in Glasgow on Wednesday saying it is "unsuitable".
The free-to-attend two-day annual conference and exhibition on renewable energy and sustainable technologies at the SECC in Glasgow is promoted as bringing together the UK’s largest group of buyers from the bioenergy, solar, offshore and onshore wind and wave & tidal sectors, as well as those involved in energy storage, transmission and onsite generation.
But campaigners are fighting to have a session on the nuclear life cycle removed from Wednesday's agenda, saying that it should not have a place at a conference on renewable and sustainable energy.
Some 1,740 have signed a petition calling for the nuclear talk chaired by Adrian Bull, director of external relations a the National Nuclear Laboratory.
There is to be a keynote speech by Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association.
Other talks surround prospects for small reactors in the UK, and advice on the skills to enter and succeed in the nuclear industry. There will be a presentation on scenarios for the deployment of new nuclear power stations.
But the complaints are expected to fall on deaf ears, as the one-and-a-half hour session due to start at 11am, was still on the agenda last night.
Pandora Swan, who started the petition, said she was "surprised" that the conference were to have a seminar on nuclear life cycle.
She said that while "outraged by this brain- or greenwash" she had contacted a conference executive calling for a ban on the seminar.
Her petition says: "I am increasingly outraged by the way the nuclear industry tries to influence and infiltrate every aspect of the British society. I don't know how they managed to get a slot in this renewable energy conference, but it shows that the nuclear industry is very good at its effort to "improve" its reputation with the public and even scientists and the renewable industry.
"The nuclear industry likes to promote itself as low or even carbon neutral (of which the latter is plain wrong) and capitalises on the carbon footprint blindness of the British government and COP (Conference of the Parties) talks.
"Even if it is low carbon, it still entails problems that makes this source of energy highly unsustainable: the use of uranium ore as fuel, long-lived, environmentally problematic waste and risks that can be devastating.
"Don't let the nuclear industry brainwash everyone into thinking that nuclear power is a renewable and sustainable energy!"
One supporter said: "To describe nuclear power as 'renewable' is absolute misrepresentation of the facts. The abhorrent results of its manufacture are in existence for generations and are a threat to the planet."
Judith Patten from All-Energy, which organises the conference said that over the years they had featured nuclear sessions on "an number of occasions" because of interest in the topic from those who have regularly attended the show.
"This approach has meant that we cover a number of non-renewable energy topics in our programme including heat, low carbon transport, sustainable and smart cities, carbon capture and storage, and energy efficiency," she said.
All-Energy 2016 is the 16th show in the annual series. After 14 shows in Aberdeen, All-Energy moved last year to the SECC and was said to be a resounding success with 8,250 attending from 50 countries; some 450 exhibiting companies and, almost the same number of speakers from home and overseas.
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