[Sustain] Alert: Email To Keep Nukes Out Of Senate Climate Bill

[Eric Brooks]

*Nuclear Information and Resource Service* 
<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ckHOXGyi822O4fWeSepjv3mz3kJKwrZ0> 

_*YOUR*_* SENATORS ARE CRITICAL!*

*TAKE ACTION NOW FOR A STRONG CLIMATE BILL,
*

* AND AGAINST TAXPAYER BAILOUTS OF THE*

* NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY!*

August 26, 2009

Dear Clean Energy Advocate,

I'm writing because you live in a state where one or both of your 
Senators is considered critical.

Critical to passing a strong climate bill, and critical to making sure 
the climate bill does not turn into a bailout of the nuclear power industry.

Senate Environment Committee chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Sen. 
John Kerry (D-Mass) intend to introduce the Senate climate bill shortly 
after Labor Day. The Committee is expected to begin its work soon 
thereafter.

It is essential both that the Senate climate bill be much stronger than 
the House version (and NIRS was one of 300+ groups that sent a letter to 
Boxer today urging a stronger bill) and that the Senate bill not include 
a taxpayer bailout of the nuclear power industry.

**Because your Senator(s) is on our key votes list, **please send a 
letter to them now here* 
<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=RgZOzBpBbj8UIK%2F6f4YS2QoZ3d0souCu>*.*

**And, for the first time, we've set it up so you can send a fax to your 
Senators if you'd like (just check the box that says "send fax"). This 
is even more effective than e-mail. /But we have to pay for these 
faxes!/ So, if at all possible, please make a small donation to help us 
cover the cost of these faxes 
<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=PMrHd9Ex5YoFD0QUf%2F8OfQoZ3d0souCu>.*

It will be very difficult to get 60 votes in the Senate to pass any sort 
of climate bill. And some Senators are arguing that adding billions of 
dollars of new taxpayer loan guarantees and other subsidies for the 
nuclear industry will help get the votes needed for passage.

_But this is a ruse:_ the Senators who most want to spend billions of 
your money on new nuclear reactors aren't going to vote for a climate 
bill anyway.

And, because nuclear power is the most expensive, least effective means 
of reducing carbon emissions, a bill saddled with billions of dollars of 
nuclear subsidies would no longer be a useful or strong climate bill. 
Indeed, such a bill should be defeated and the Senate forced to try again.

Because the vote margin will be so close, we need to both support and 
keep up the pressure on those Senators who don't want nuclear subsidies. 
If their votes for a climate bill are in jeopardy because of nuclear 
bailouts, then these bailouts become less likely.

*That's why it's important for all of us to take this next step, and 
e-mail and/or fax your Senators now. 
<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=DK1FsjSt7dM3GgMkrbwO5Xmz3kJKwrZ0>*

*And **please help us pay for all these thousands of faxes here* 
<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2F8HU%2FywFzsnBhhrvGmhdjQoZ3d0souCu>*.*

Not everyone on our list is receiving this Alert; only those of you in 
states where at least one of your Senators is a critical vote. And 
because /your/ Senator(s) is critical, so is /your/ action. Please act 
today.

Thanks for all you do,

Michael Mariotte

Executive Director

Nuclear Information and Resource Service

nirsnet at nirs.org <mailto:nirsnet at nirs.org>

www.nirs.org 
<http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=7vKV%2BZ1DJKvVTiRsfh8V9nmz3kJKwrZ0>

P.S. If you're on our snail mail list, you'll soon be receiving 
postcards for your Senators. Please fill those out and send them back to 
us as soon as you can. And if you'd like postcards for your friends and 
colleagues to fill out, or to use at information tables at concerts, 
conference and the like, let us know: nirsnet at nirs.org 
<mailto:nirsnet at nirs.org>

And don't forget, it's not too late to visit your Senators district 
offices while they're still back home. Many are still holding town hall 
meetings you can attend. While many of these are oriented toward health 
care reform--clearly a crucial topic--how about going and asking about 
the health of the planet as well?

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