October, 05 2012, 01:22pm EDT
Let's Not Roll the Nuclear Dice
New TV spot charges that Edison’s reactor restart plan gambles with Southern Californians’ safety
LOS ANGELES, Calif.
Southern California Edison's controversial plan to restart one of the damaged San Onofre nuclear reactors is rolling the nuclear dice -- a dangerous experiment that gambles with the safety of millions in Southern California.
That's the blunt message of a new 30-second TV spot from Friends of the Earth that begins running today on cable TV systems in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.
The ad premieres just one day after Edison asked the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to let it restart one of San Onofre's crippled reactors and run it at reduced power, despite the fact that Edison has made no repairs since the plant was shut down after a leak of radioactive steam eight months ago. The ad, produced by Wild Bunch Media of Washington, D.C., will air a total of 126 times from Oct. 5 to Oct. 11.
The script:
Rolling the nuclear dice.
That's what Southern California Edison wants to do by restarting the San Onofre nuclear plant.
A dangerous radiation leak caused an emergency shutdown. Now, Edison wants to restart the plant at reduced power... despite the fact San Onofre is still broken.
Even at reduced power San Onofre is dangerous. Edison is putting profits over safety -- ignoring better energy sources.
Don't let Edison gamble with your safety.
The message of the ad echoes the findings of a poll by David Binder Research of 700 registered voters in Edison's service area. Fifty-eight percent of respondents said the plant should remain shut and its power replaced with safe, renewable energy sources. Almost half said they believe Edison is putting profits ahead of safety.
To view the ad on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrNCiN9kCR4
To view the poll results: https://libcloud.s3.amazonaws.com/93/22/d/2476/1/DBR_San_Onofre_Survey_Results.pdf
Friends of the Earth fights for a more healthy and just world. Together we speak truth to power and expose those who endanger the health of people and the planet for corporate profit. We organize to build long-term political power and campaign to change the rules of our economic and political systems that create injustice and destroy nature.
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