Livingstone and Greenpeace launch nuclear campaign

The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone and Greenpeace have joined together to launch a stark public information campaign highlighting that there is a real alternative to nuclear power.

Under the headline '£70 billion - Nuclear Waste?' the Mayor invites Londoners to participate in the debate now taking place about energy policy. The posters will appear on tube stations across the capital from Friday.

The Government has made it clear that it wants to construct a new generation of nuclear power stations.

It argues there is no alternative, even though the cost of clearing up the last generation has soared to £70 billion.

The Mayor and Greenpeace believe that there is an alternative that would cost a lot less, both financially and environmentally and could lower Londoners' fuel bills. An efficient, decentralised alternative that includes combined heat, power and cooling plants, biofuels and renewables. The Mayor is calling on Londoners to join the debate, and to give their views on London's future energy needs.

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said: "Nuclear power is yesterday's solution to our energy needs. In London we want to lead the way in combating climate change by using the cleanest energy and most efficient technologies rather than adopting solutions that damage the environment. Developing the infrastructure for decentralised energy would be financially and environmentally more cost effective than using nuclear power, it would mean less carbon emissions and it would help reduce Londoners' fuel bills."

Sarah North, Greenpeace Climate Change Campaigner said: "A new nuclear age is a dangerous distraction from real energy solutions to climate change. It would also generate highly radioactive waste which remains deadly for up to a million years and would mean Londoners are exposed to a new terrorist threat as the population would be condemned to having vulnerable nuclear waste trains trundling along our public rail network for decades to come."