Say no to nuclear power: Nobel Laureates

Nobel Peace Laureates have asked all countries, including India and China, to invest in safer forms of renewable energy instead of nuclear energy in the backdrop of recent atomic disaster in Japan.

"It is time to recognise that nuclear power is not a clean, safe or affordable source of energy," said the letter written by nine laureates including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Adolfo Perez Esquivel and Jose Ramos Horta.

The women laureates are Betty Williams, Mairead Maguire, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi and Wangari Maathai.

"We firmly believe that if the world phases out its current use of nuclear power, future generations of people everywhere -- and the Japanese people who have already suffered too much -- will live in greater peace and security," said the letter, which has been sent to 31 heads of state whose countries are currently heavily

invested in atomic power production, or are considering investing in nuclear power.

The letter goes on to highlight the serious long-term impacts of nuclear power production, including the challenges of finding safe and secure storage for nuclear waste.

The laureates point out that while countries continue to produce this expensive and dangerous energy, other cheaper and more sustainable sources are very accessible.

"There are presently over 400 nuclear power plants in the world -- many, in places at high risk for natural disaster or political upheaval. These plants provide less than seven percent of the world's total energy supply," it said.

"As world leaders, you can work together to replace this small amount of energy from other readily available, very safe and affordable sources of energy to move us towards a carbon-free and nuclear-free future," the letter said.