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<p><span style="font-size: smaller;"><span style="font-family:
Arial;">6930 Carroll Avenue, #340, Takoma Park, MD 20912;
301-270-6477; <a href="mailto:nirsnet@nirs.org">nirsnet@nirs.org</a>;
<a
href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=hhl3Z3vPx78ubgUgXjeG3ib1RVUXe0Rk">www.nirs.org</a></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: larger;"><span
style="font-family: Arial;">TELL DOE AND CONGRESS:<br>
DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT TAXPAYER LOANS TO FRENCH GOVERNMENT
FOR NEW NUKES IN U.S.!<br>
<br>
PLUS: THE VIRTUAL MARCH ON WASHINGTON CONTINUES
GROWING--JOIN IN NOW!</span></span></b></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br>
October 27, 2010<br>
<br>
Dear Friends:<br>
<br>
It's official: Constellation Energy wanted out of the Calvert
Cliffs-3 nuclear reactor project so badly that last night they
agreed to sell their 50% share of it to Electricite de France
(EDF) for $140 million, plus EDF will give back about $100 million
in stock it owns in Constellation. Here is a <a
href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=gcKfAtS2w70x1ALC2dwQdib1RVUXe0Rk">Baltimore
Sun story </a>on the deal.<br>
<br>
In other words, Constellation thinks the $240 million or so it's
getting is worth more than 60 years of electricity sales from a
$10+ billion nuclear power plant. That should tell you something
about nuclear power's economic viability when ratepayers aren't
forced to subsidize new reactors.<br>
<br>
<b>But it's not clear our public officials are getting the
message.</b><br>
<br>
Some Maryland politicians--like House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer,
and a lot of nuclear industry advocates, are hoping EDF can
somehow resurrect Calvert Cliffs-3 and the entire nuclear
"renaissance," which is crumbling before their eyes. <b>Incredibly,
they're even hoping EDF will still get, and accept, the $7.5
Billion loan the Department of Energy promised before
Constellation backed out of the project!</b><br>
<br>
But Electricite de France is exactly what its name sounds like:
it's part of the French government. Why on earth should U.S.
taxpayers provide a loan to the French government to build
dangerous, dirty and extraordinarily expensive nuclear reactors in
the U.S.? The answer, of course, is we shouldn't.<br>
<br>
<b>If you agree, <a
href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=k4LysalwfHCEkpqP%2BYyQayb1RVUXe0Rk">please
send a letter now here.</a> </b>It will go to Energy
Secretary Chu, loan guarantee program chief Jonathan Silver, and
your members of Congress.<br>
<br>
And if you can help us continue (and expand!) our winning campaign
against the nuclear "renaissance" and all taxpayer subsidies to
the nuclear industry, <a
href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Hy4HkMEhg2YmoqDuxU%2Fzrib1RVUXe0Rk">please
make a tax-deductible donation, of whatever you can afford,
here. </a>We know many people are giving money to political
candidates this time of year, but we rely on your contributions to
do this essential work. Your support shows us we're going in the
right direction and enables us to do even more!<br>
<br>
It's not only Constellation that is backing out of new reactors.
Yesterday, the chief planning officer for nuclear giant Entergy <a
href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=DL6PQYpKVad1WETNCyuTACb1RVUXe0Rk">said
new reactors are not "economically attractive."</a><br>
<br>
<b>And it's not just a minority of us that are opposed to taxpayer
nuclear loan guarantees. </b>Yesterday, the Civil Society
Institute <a
href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=bf%2BDHAouzWZWtVLpg3yVsib1RVUXe0Rk">released
a new poll on energy and climate </a>(and in particular, what
Independents and Tea Party backers think about these issues). <b>Among
the findings: only 23% of the American people support taxpayer
loans for new reactors! </b>On the other hand, 56% support such
loans for renewable energy projects. The entire poll is
fascinating and well worth looking at.<br>
<br>
<a
href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=TR6hqHcCn0SNhpKV49LyIib1RVUXe0Rk">The
DOE and Congress need to hear from us now. </a>Tell them no
loans to the French government; indeed, no loans at all for new
nuclear reactors!<br>
<br>
<span style="font-size: larger;"><b>The Virtual March on
Washington</b></span><br>
We hope you've had a chance to take a look at the growing Virtual
March on Washington! You can do so on the front page of <a
href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=pPJanQjnpL7uyPyBWeX3Tyb1RVUXe0Rk">NIRS'
website.</a> From now through April 26, 2011--the 25th
anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe--we'll be adding new
photos to the march; we'll also soon be adding videos of march
"speakers." <br>
<br>
We hope you'll stand and be counted, and join us in this virtual
"march." It couldn't be easier. Just send your photo to us at <a
href="mailto:nirsnet@nirs.org">nirsnet@nirs.org</a>. If you'd
like a sign to hold, <a
href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=AU1HJI%2FhVAAFJrS2tyuWXyb1RVUXe0Rk">you
can download and print signs here</a>, or make a sign of your
own. Send a photo of yourself, take a photo with friends and/or
your group, take a photo at a protest you're already doing. <b>But
please join the hundreds who already have sent in their pics and
let's keep this march growing!</b><br>
<br>
Thanks for all you do,<br>
<br>
Michael Mariotte<br>
Executive Director<br>
Nuclear Information and Resource Service<br>
<a href="mailto:nirsnet@nirs.org">nirsnet@nirs.org</a><br>
<a
href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=oROf8tb2EGeS%2FWp4Rlv5HCb1RVUXe0Rk">www.nirs.org</a><br>
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