Sanders has been the strongest candidate on improving the safety and climate impacts of our energy system by phasing out fossil fuels as quickly as possible with pushing for and immediate move to 100% clean energy.
While some are saying this move cannot be done quickly or that it is not feasible, cities and countries around the world are successfully making the transition that the U.S. has been slow to adopt.
In recent years, the U.S. has made strides in renewable energy, with increasing solar and wind projects putting a dent in the fossil fuel industry.
Bernie Sanders just added nuclear power to energy sources we should move away from, calling for the shut down of the controversial Indian Point Nuclear Plant.
Pipeline activists have been very concerned about the plan to put a fracked gas pipeline in close proximity to the plant. All of this comes on the heels of news that the Fukushima Nuclear Plant in Japan is at a critical danger point, unable to contain and control radioactive waste.
This could be a pivotal moment as he pulls away from more moderate views, moving the United States towards safer, cleaner energy alternatives, highlighting concerns about nuclear power hazards in close proximity to one of the most powerful cities on the planet.
"Highlighting his opposition to nuclear power ahead of the Empire State’s primary later this month, Bernie Sanders is calling for the shutdown of a nuclear power plant outside New York City that has leaked radioactive material into groundwater supplies.
The Indian Point plant has long been a source of controversy, thanks to numerous leaks and safety concerns. In February, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the latest leak at the plant “unacceptable.” But the plant produces about a quarter of the electricity used by New York City and neighboring Westchester County, making it difficult to replace.
“I am very concerned that the Indian Power nuclear power reactor is more than ever before a catastrophe waiting to happen,” Sanders said in a statement Monday. “In my view, we cannot sit idly by and hope that the unthinkable will never happen. We must take action to shut this plant down in a safe and responsible way. It makes no sense to me to continue to operate a decaying nuclear reactor within 25 miles of New York City where nearly 10 million people live.”
“Even in a perfect world where energy companies didn’t make mistakes, nuclear power is and always has been a dangerous idea because there is no good way to store nuclear waste,” Sanders said. “That is why the United States must lead the world in transforming our energy system away from nuclear power and fossil fuels...”
In Iowa and New Hampshire, he campaigned against pipelines that had general local opposition. In Minnesota, he came out against two Enbridge Pipelines, which he said would a similar impact on climate change as the Keystone XL pipeline."
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