Video summaries

These videos were recorded after the Thornbury lectures and summarise some of the key issues around new nuclear. 15 mins here will give you an excellent picture of what's going on here.

A political decision

Professor Tom Burke

Environment adviser to Rio Tinto PLC and Senior Business Advisor to the Foreign Secretary's Special Representative on Climate change, Tom Burke understands has a great insight into both the business and political issues driving new nuclear.

The economics and the inevitability of subsidies

Professor Steve Thomas

Steve is a researcher in energy policy. He has an excellent grasp on the real financial cost of new nuclear. His conclusion is that the Government numbers just do not add up by a factor of at least 300%.

Nuclear waste - the legacy of new nuclear

Professor Andy Blowers

Andy sat on the Governments Committee on Radioactive Waste Management and wrote part of the committees conclusions on how waste should be managed. He has seen the tight caveats that the CoRWM put on the generation of new waste eroded over time and is very concerned that the legacy of new nuclear will be a huge financial and health burden on future generations.

Carbon emissions - will nuclear make a big enough difference

Doctor Ian Fairlie

Ian is an radiation biologist who has been studying nuclear power for many years.

Ian estimates that the maximum CO2 savings for the UK from nuclear power is 5%. Alternatives can achieve 10 to 10 times greater savings per £ spent.

Health risks - cancer risks are increased around nuclear power stations

The German Government has accepted that the incidence of childhood leukemia around nuclear power stations is double the norm. It has stopped nuclear development in Germany. The UK Government is silent on this issue - can we afford to be silent too?