Anti-nuclear movement in France

In the 1970s, an anti-nuclear movement in France, consisting of citizens' groups and political action committees, emerged. There were many large anti-nuclear protests and demonstrations. More recently, targeted campaigns have been conducted, mainly by Greenpeace, and Sortir du nucléaire (France) has called for an official safety inspection of Areva facilities.

History

France began a nuclear power program in the 1950s and announced a shift to the Westinghouse light water reactor in 1969. Following the 1973 oil crisis, the government announced a dramatic increase in planned nuclear capacity. These major decisions were put forward as a "fait accompli", with no opportunity for meaningful parliamentary debate.Nelkin, Dorothy and Michael Pollak, "Ideology as Strategy: The Discourse of the Anti-Nuclear Movement in France and Germany" "Science, Technology, & Human Values", Vol. 5, No. 30 (Winter, 1980), p. 3.] An intense extra-parliamentary opposition, of citizens' groups and political action committees, emerged. In the 1970s, there were many large and dramatic anti-nuclear protests and demonstrations in France.

In 1971, 15,000 people demonstrated against French plans to locate the first light -water reactor power plant in Bugey. This was the first ofa series of mass protests organized at nearly every planned nuclear siteuntil the massive demonstration at the Superphénix breeder reactor inCreys-Malvillein in 1977 culminated in violence. [Nelkin, Dorothy and Michael Pollak (1982). " [http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/chapters/026264021Xchap1.pdf The Atom Beseiged: Antinuclear Movements in France and Germany] ", ASIN: B0011LXE0A, p. 3.]

Recent developments

In 2004, an anti-nuclear protester was run over by a train carrying radioactive waste. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/nov/10/worlddispatch.france Fatality fuels anti-nuclear protest] ] In 2005, thousands of anti-nuclear demonstrators marched to commemorate the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and demand an end to government plans to build a nuclear plant in western France. [ [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-107789734.html Thousands march in anti-nuclear protest in western France] ]

On March 17 2007 simultaneous protests, organised by Sortir du nucléaire (Get Out of Nuclear Power), were staged in 5 French towns to protest construction of EPR plants; Rennes, Lyon, Toulouse, Lille, and Strasbourg. cite news
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publisher =Nuclear Engineering International
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In 2008, twenty Greenpeace activists delayed construction of a new nuclear reactor being built in Flamanville for 50 hours. [ [http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/greenpeace-activists-block-french-nuclear-reactor260608# Greenpeace activists block restart of French nuclear reactor construction] ] In July 2008 there were a series of accidents at the French nuclear site Tricastin-Pierrelatte, and Greenpeace France launched two court cases in an effort to find out more details about these. [ [http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/french-nuclear-industry-sued010808 Greenpeace to sue French Nuclear Industry] ] In August 2008, "Sortir du nucléaire" called Areva's radioactive emissions 'very dangerous' and sought an official safety inspection of its factories. [ [http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article4479848.ece Concern over French nuclear safety] ]

ee also

* Dominique Voynet
* France and weapons of mass destruction
* Nuclear power in France
* Stéphane Lhomme
* Mycle Schneider
* André Larivière
* Solange Fernex
*List of anti-nuclear power groups
*List of books about nuclear issues
*List of Chernobyl-related articles
*List of nuclear whistleblowers
*List of Nuclear-Free Future Award recipients

References

Further reading

*Touraine, Alain, Zsuzska Hegedus, Francois Dubet, and Michael Wieviorka (1982). "Anti-nuclear protest: The Opposition to Nuclear Energy in France", Cambridge University Press.

External links

* [http://www.dawn.com/2001/10/21/int1.htm Thousands protest against N-power: Demonstrations across France]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2004/01/18/1027267.htm Thousands march in Paris anti-nuclear protest]
* [http://www.platts.com/Nuclear/News/7086320.xml?src=Nuclearrssheadlines1 Greenpeace resumes protest actions against Flamanville-3]
* [http://www.planetark.org/avantgo/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=49335 Greenpeace Climb Eiffel Tower in Nuclear Protest]
* [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=arfiLzs9r9O8&refer=exclusive Uranium Leaks Rattle France's Nuclear Support, Anger Villagers]
* [http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1824284,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topics French Doubts Up After Nuke Mishaps]