Nuclear Bus & Investigative Unit

Dear friends and supporters,

this is an update - 30 August 2017

Next week, EP and Energy for Humanity will travel to Germany, Switzerland, and France to investigate their proposed nuclear plant phase-out.

Over the last decade, Germany and France have earned reputations as a global climate leaders, with Germany making an aggressive push into renewables, and France as host of the 2015 Paris Climate talks.

And yet German emissions are higher than they were in 2009, due to replacing nuclear with fossil fuels, while France is considering reducing its reliance on zero-emissions nuclear and increasing its use of natural gas and renewables.

Germany and France will heavily shape future European and even global energy and environmental policies — Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium and other nations may also phase out their nuclear plants — but to date there has been little investigative reporting on the planned shift from nuclear energy to fossil fuels and renewables.

To better understand what is happening in Europe, Environmental Progress (EP) and Energy for Humanity (EfH) are teaming up on a fact-finding mission through Germany, Switzerland, and France.

We will divide up to interview a large range of government and industry officials, ordinary citizens, nuclear plant workers, activists on all sides, sociologists, political scientists, and pollsters.

The trip will begin with a new TEDx talk by Michael Shellenberger in Berlin on September 3 — “Why I Changed My Mind About Nuclear” — and end in Paris on September 9.

Concerning the crowdfunding campaign: We didn't reach the goal we were hoping for by the end of August. Therefore we are planning to do the first road-trip with a rental bus (and maybe less "hippie" than originally planned). But we are still hoping for more funding for the coming trips though. Thank you all for your support, we will keep you updated!

Wolfgang & Michael


Original text - 1 August 2017

Our plan is to purchase a "nuclear tour bus", paint it colorful with pro-environmental messages and our logos (Energy for Humanity & Environmental Progress ) and then make several road trips with it over the next years through Europe.

The goal is to a) raise awareness for the premature shutdown of nuclear plants but also b) investigate the real truth how this leads to more coal & lignite, harms the environment and the local population and reduces the security of supply.

The first trip is planned in September 2017 from Berlin to Jänschwalde lignite mine & plant to Gundremmingen nuclear plant to Beznau nuclear plant to Fessenheim nuclear plant to Paris, France.


Road trip - planned itinerary (status 4 August 2017)

The preliminary dates are:
1) Berlin 3. & 4. September 2017
2) Jänschwalde lignite 5. September 2017
3) Gundremmingen NPP 6. September 2017
4) Beznau NPP 7. September 2017
5) Fessenheim NPP 7. September 2017
6) Paris 8. September 2017

We will also share our trip on social media through the Twitter account @nuclearbus

This is why we are now fundraising to buy a used VW-bus. We estimate that we need about 15,000 Swiss Francs (= USD) to get a good bus that will last for some years and not leave us stranded at the side of the street too soon!

Also, it is kind of urgent, so we are hoping to get the funding together by mid-August 2017 so we can still paint the bus!

A possible example bus could look like this (before painting it):



Please help contribute to our endavour! Every little bit helps (for example 5 USD or 10 USD?)! If you give a larger amount, we can put your name on the bus!

We also plan to travel with the bus to many locations in Europe over the next years to fight for carbon free nuclear power, electrification and against producing electricity with fossil fuels!

Thank you so much in advance!

Cheers,

Michael & Wolfgang
[adresse e-mail supprimée]
[adresse e-mail supprimée]