May 29, 2012

Stop Koodankulam Project: It Involves Abuse of Democracy, Ecology and Human Rights

Jyothi Krishnan/Anitha Sharma/Santhi

This signature campaign was coordinated by John Seed, the renowned environmentalist and deep ecologist from Australia. John Seed has been working for the conservation of rainforests, and is Founder and Director of the Rainforest Information Centre in Australia. John Seed and his associates have been involved in many direct actions that have resulted in the protection of rainforests in Australia. They have also supported similar campaigns across the world.

Friends who have expressed solidarity with the anti-nuclear struggle at Koodankulam, and who have signed and sent letters expressing concern to the Prime Minister of India and the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, include those who have been working in the field of environmental conservation in various capacities in different parts of the world.

Dear Sirs,

We would like to join the thousands of other concerned citizens from around the world who are calling on you to halt the commissioning of the nuclear power plant at Koodankulam.

We recommend that the nuclear power plant be halted because:

■ The construction violates the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Safety Guidelines as Koodankulam is in a tsunami and earthquake prone region which has also experienced small volcanic eruptions and is affected by water shortages.

■ It is also in violation of the mandatory requirement for construction of fresh water reservoirs which are essential in case of a nuclear accident. This is significant, because fresh water is the main remedy in the event of a nuclear emergency. One of the main factors for the severity of major nuclear accidents – such as at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima – was lack of fresh water.

■ Mandatory reports on the safety of the construction are being withheld from the public and the media.
We urge you to:

■ Withdraw sedition and ‘war against the state’ cases amongst other false charges filed against members of Koodankulam People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy who have been protesting non-violently and that Section 144 be lifted from the region.

■ Ensure that international safety regulations with respect to the above points are stringently followed.

■ Ensure that all reports, reviews and information related to the nuclear plant are made transparent and accessible to the public.

People’s basic human rights and environmental safety procedures in the construction of a major nuclear power plant have been abused. Paying short shrift to these mandatory procedures can have mammoth consequences of global proportions.

We fully appreciate that energy needs and security are of a priority for a growing economy and implore that alternative measures be investigated and invested in, rather than resorting to nuclear power plants in ecologically unsound circumstances.

Yours sincerely,

1. John Seed, www.johnseed.net, Rainforest Information Centre (www.rainforestinfo.org.au). Johnseed1@ozemail.com.au
2. Danielle Dao daostudios@gmail.com
3. Dennis Rivers rivers@EcoBodhi.org
4. Patricia Fleming pat@wylde.gn.apc.org
5. John Davidson jay_davo@hotmail.com
6. Peter Gould :peter_terania@hotmail.com
7. George Jean Winston :gwinston@aapt.net.au, Mission St KATOOMBA NSW 2780, Australia
8. bade kucukoglu :bkucukoglu@yahoo.com
9. Judith K Canepa :jk.nycag@gmail.com, Co-founder, New York Climate Action Group United States of America
10. Sandy Eastoak :sandoak@sonic.net
11. Monica Winston :goldenalight@yahoo.com.au
12. Kirsten Johnsen, elemental@wildblue.net ,
Ukiah, California, USA=3D
13. Gar Smith :gar-smith@earthlink.net Editor Emeritus, Earth Island Journal Co-founder, Environmentalists Against War Berkeley, California, USA
14. Dianne Brause :diannebrause@ymail.com], USA
15. Jeremiah Wallack, USA
16. Kerrie Pimm” 17. Gemma Plesman” 18. Heather Hyde” 19. Anjali Walsh” 20. Susie Russell” 21. S DEWAR” 22. Robert Wyffels” 23. Gillian Newton” 24. Robin Clayfield”
25. Chris Prem”
26. Carrie Saxifrage ,pmosb@pmo.nic.in
27. Bob Gould, BA, Dip Ed Australia
28. Don Fanning, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
29. Jon Sherman, 244 S. Bent Ave, San Marcos, CA 92078 USA :dryadflutes@gmail.com] 30. Monica King LMSW, ACSW Psychotherapist. mkingmsw@aol.com
31. Frazer Kirkman, frazerkirkman@gmail.com, United Visions
32. Gilbert Louttit, figforge64@gmail.com Australia
33. Sigrid Delmotte, Britse Lei 32, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium. sigridd@hotmail.com
34. Tanya Nolte,Australia. altcare@aapt.net.au
35. Robyn Whiteman, mys-elf13@att.net
36. Christina, Taiwan. christinayu711209@gmail.com
37. Dean Winwood, Southern Cross University, Australia. dwinwood@optusnet.com.au
38. Jennifer Cameroon, Australia. jacameron@mail.com
39. Vivienne Simon, Esq. USA vivsimon@earthlink.net
40. Harsha Prabhu, Byron Bay, Australia, go2harsha@yahoo.com.au
41. Tahlia Newland, Centrepeice Productions, tahlia@activ8.net.au
42. Almah Tararia, Papua New Guinea . atararia@hotmail.com
43. Lianne Bridges, Montreal, Canada, lianne@shiftvillage.com
44. Michael Puck, michael.a.puck@gmail.com
45. Nicholas Grace, Sydney, Australia
46. David Lamb, daevaskye@hotmail.com
47. Sun Hyland, sunhyland@gmail.com
48. Jude Garrecht, judegarrecht@gmail.com
49. Almah Tararia, Papua New Guinea. atararia@hotmail.com
50. Lianne Bridges, Montreal, Canada. lianne@shiftvillage.com
51. Michael Puck. michael.a.puck@gmail.com
52. Nicholas Grace, Sydney, Australia. gracemaster@me.com
53. Jude Garrecht, judegarrecht@gmail.com
54. Sally Mathrick. smile@soundmedicine.com.au
55. Jarl Pfluger, Australia. jdpfluger@gmail.com
56. Tee Kay. lists@thekritic.net
57. Lydia Kindred, Rosebank, NSW, Australia. kindredlydia@gmail.com
58. John Dickson, dicksonjohn3@yahoo.com.au
59. Nicholas Payne, NSW, Australia. nicholas@topside.com.au
60. Elaine Catton, NSW Australia. elcatton@gmail.com