Rock on!
Posted on 10/24/2007 3:43:36 AM PDT by ShadowDancer
Classic Rockers Reprise 'No Nukes' Initiative
Browne, Nash, Raitt Urge Congress To Halt Loans For New Plants
POSTED: 4:22 pm EDT October 23, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Rock musicians Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Graham Nash are putting a new millennium twist on their 1970s anti-nuclear message, urging Congress not to approve federal loan guarantees for new nuclear power plants.
"Thirty years ago, we felt that this monster was dead," Nash said. "It's trying to raise its ugly head."
Nearly three decades ago, the three were prominent in the anti-nuke movement, helping organize the "No Nukes" concerts at Madison Square Garden that stirred public opposition to nuclear power.
Tuesday, they were on Capitol Hill warning that a Senate version of a new energy bill contains a provision, backed by the nuclear industry, for loan guarantees that could serve as a "virtual blank check from taxpayers" to help build more nuclear plants.
The loan guarantee provision, they said, mars an otherwise attractive bill that supports renewable energy sources and improved energy efficiency standards.
The musicians have launched a petition drive and YouTube music video. They have backing from environmental groups and dozens of artists such as R.E.M., Ben Harper, Maroon 5, Pearl Jam, Patti Smith and Wynton Marsalis. They said they have collected more than 120,000 signatures to present to Congress.
"We're going to encourage our lawmakers to know that the American people are paying attention," said Browne.
The Nuclear Energy Institute, the industry's trade group, scoffed at the objections, saying nuclear energy is on the brink of a revival partly due to increased energy demands and concerns over global warming.
"It's a debate they're going to lose because nuclear energy over the last quarter-century has proven its value to our country," said institute spokesman Steve Kerekes. "It's almost as if they're in a time capsule and they've been transported forward."
Reps. Edward Markey, D-Mass., a leading Democrat on energy issues, and Rep. John Hall, D-N.Y., said the musicians will provide more lobbying muscle on the energy bill. Hall, once part of the group Orleans, helped organize the 1979 "No Nukes" concerts.
They should be made to wear T-Shirts that say “I (heart) Global Warming”.
Eventually these hippies will die. Pearl Jam just needs smoke stronger pot and go back to Oregon.
Idiots.
Rock on!
The 60’s hold-on’s reprise their useless roles. What a shame! Bonnie Raitt is one of my very favorite blues guitarists. What a shame! And, as far as Hall is concerned, he’s “Still the One” of the idiots that will allow Iran to have a nuke, but curtail ours.
Yea, I'm paying attention all right.......3 more scum-monkeys to add to my "A" list
To be updated with the times, it should read ... They should be made to wear T-Shirts that say “I (crescent) Global Warming”.
Let's cut off our nose to spite our face.
While I don’t support the notion of government subsidies for industry, it’s fair to say the these ‘pie in the sky’ activists are, again, off the mark. The least cost alternative to currently endorsed electrical generation processes is nuclear. A studdy summarized, yesterday, on Fox News (in a solar power story) indicated nuclear powered facilities generate electricity at about 3 cents per Kilowatt hour, with coal next and so on, up to ‘renewable’ solar at 6 to 7 times the cost of nuclear. When they added in the full spectrum of economic costs for the various facilities, nuclear was still down at the lower end of the spectrum.
Our issues with renewable energy spring from the lack of economic incentive to conduct the requisite R&D to significantly improve productions efficiencies, delivery technology, and so forth. I believe this has to be funded by industry, not taxpayer money, though.
Nearly three decades ago, the three were prominent in the anti-nuke movement, helping organize the “No Nukes” concerts at Madison Square Garden that stirred public opposition to nuclear power.
‘opposition...to nuke. power’
hahahaahahha
brother...OPPOSITION to M.A.D. which prevented global war for how many years now? AT LEAST 5 ALMOST 6DECADES...!
no sane person could be opposed to that...
TOOO MUCH OPPOSIN’ GOIN ON AROUND HEAH..
No nukes, no drilling, no coal fired plants. Seems the only acceptable energy answer from the left is sunshine, lollipops and rainbows.
KUMBAYA OLD TIMER....YER JUST AS DUMB AS YOU EVER WERE..this country is a ‘no hippie washed-out-socialism-promulgatin-zone’....just go quietly into the dustbin of history...yer home now..
Well, I certainly base my energy policy decisions on the recommendations of rock musicians. Not.
Nuclear power is the cleanest and ultimately cheapest alternative to fossil fuels. Solar is the other area where way more investment is required.
The solution to nuclear waste (assuming we can’t do breeder reactors that’d turn over 90% of it into useful fuel) is to package it appropriately, and place it at the mid-Pacific subduction zone where it’ll eventually get sucked down into the mantle. That’s another reason not to ratify LOST.
Sorry guys. Won’t get fooled again.
Gotta question where some peoples brains are at. Modern society, which includes electric amplifiers, requires electric power. Coal is the most abundant resource that the United States has - and we have more high quality coal than any other country. Except, our wonderful congress critters are poised to legislate away coal fired plants.
Nuclear power is another alternative, or should be. Give these guys a pointy stick and a loincloth and banish them to a wilderness island for a few months and see if they don’t come around.
Besides, how in the heck are they going to power their stage shows? With Steam?
Must be a bear when you are a trendy, know-nothing Luddite has-been rocker, when the things you hate are the only things to stop the other things you hate.
Collectively these folks only have a half dozen or so brain cells that still work. They haven't thought that far out and never will until the lights go dark in their own homes and they can't find their stash and bongs.....
Nothing to see here ... just a bunch of has beens looking to jump start their careers. To quote the great Jim Morrison, “when the music’s over, turn out the lights”.
To add: Pearl Jam hasn’t done anything since their second album. Musically, their act has come and gone.
Maybe they can have their concert lighting and amplification powered by their smug emmisions.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.