back to radiation | rat haus | Index | Search
Date: Thu, 24 Jul 1997 16:23:09 +0400 (WSU DST)
From: ecodefense@glas.apc.org (Vladimir Slivyak)
To: ieer@glas.apc.org, meek@gardian.dot, nukenet@envirolink.org
Subject: Boycott Siemens! campaign of russian environmentalists


BOYCOTT SIEMENS!
Russian environmental groups demands from Siemens
to get out of country with own nuclear technology

Dear friends,

Russian groups appeal to you now to support the Siemens boycott campaign which was launched to prevent the construction of new, dangerous nuclear reactors in Russia, Central and Eastern Europe and change the energy policy of this corporation.

The end of 20th century sees world slowly but very surely abandoning nuclear power (no reactors under construction in North America, only two French reactors under construction in all of western Europe). Chenobyl and Three Miles Island have convinced most of the world this technology is unsafe, while virtually every plant is tremendously overbudget.

Western nuclear industry is not getting contracts in its own countries and moving to the East where local nuclear industries are politcally powerful and wish to continue with nuclear construction. Companies like the German industrial giant Siemens are strongly lobbying international financial structures for credits and loans for the construction of new reactors in CEE and CIS. Siemens brings western money to complete extremely dangerous soviet-designed reactors.

Presently, Siemens is involved in the contract of completion of a new Russian reactor in Sosnovy Bor, planning to be involved in the construction of a 3rd reactor at the Kalinin nuclear power plant and have some more possibilites in Russia. Another contract, harshly criticized in many CEE and ex-USSR countries, is for the completion of the Mochovce nuclear power plant in Slovakia Republic. Siemens will not be responsible for these reactors in operation -- as soon as construction is completed the company will leave in the countries operating reactors and will give the local population the opportunity to deal with nuclear accidents, which are already protesting against nuclear construction.

There are less expensive, less environmentally damaging, and less dangerous solutions exist to solve the energy requirements of Slovakia and Russia. The nuclear facilites in Mochovce, Sosnovy Bor, and Kalinin are attempts to pursue an irrational energy policy.

Socio-Ecological Union, consisting of 250 grassroot environmental groups from all over the former Soviet Union, and ECODEFENSE! Russia are calling for the boycott of Siemens products. Russian environmental groups say Siemens must stop construction of all nuclear reactors because it presents a great danger to the population of Europe. On behalf of all Russian citizens, environmentalists demand that Siemens withdraw from all nuclear contracts in Russia. Moreover, environmentists can demonstrate that for every region where Siemens is constructing new reactors here there exist less expensive and safer alternatives to solve energy problems.

On March 25, Russian environmentalists blockaded the Siemens representative office in Moscow and stopped all the busineses for a working day. Demostrators demanded that the company get out of the country's nuclear programs and stop the construction of new reactors in former Soviet Union and CEE. Russian organizations supports the international Siemens boycott campaign going on in Siemens' home country, Germany, and in many other countries. More than 700 environmental groups signed a letter, similar to the message of Russian environmentalists to Siemens demanding they stop nuclear reactors construction, in December 1996. The International Siemens boycott has been initiated by the environmental organizations GLOBAL 2000, Austria, Za Matku Zem (For Mother Earth), Slovakia and Friends of the Earth International).

How can you help us:

  1. We ask you to write a letter to Siemens demanding from this company to get out of former USSR and CEE with its nuclear technologies and send it to German and Russian offices of the company:
    Siemens' executive director
    Dr. Heinrich von Pierer
    Wittelsbacherpl. 2
    80333 Munchen, Germany
    fax: 0049-89-234-42-42
    email: roland.huegel@mchw.siemens.de

    Siemens representative office in CIS
    Executive director: Mr. Schmid
    ul. Dubininskaya 98a,
    113093 Moscow, Russia.
    tel. 7-095-9319652, 9547628, 9547373
    fax 7-095-9549051

  2. Boycott Siemens and its subsidiaries production, spread this information to other people, mass-media and activists in your city and country:

    Siemens has a number of important subsidiaries and this is what the largest are called and what they produce where (though it is often exported).

    • Continental 2001 - Household Goods made in Brazil
    • ITALTEL SIT S.p.A. - Telecommuncations made in Italy
    • PEG - Turkish made household goods
    • Sylvania Lighting Intl - Lights from Germany and the US
    • Bosch - Household goods made in Germany, distributed everywhere
    • OSRAM - Lighting made in Austria, distributed widely
    • Siemens Nixdorf - Computers made in Germany, distributed everywhere

  3. Join the Siemens Boycott campaign through the organizing of own actions or support russian boycott of Siemens campaign with donations. Get details through the organizers:

    ECODEFENSE!
    Moskovsky prospekt 120-34
    236006 Kaliningrad, Russia.
    tel/fax 7-0112-437286
    e-mail: ecodefense@glas.apc.org
    http://cci.glasnet.ru/KOI/SEU/KOLLEKT/ECODEFEN/INDEX.HTM

    Socio-Ecological Union Int'l
    PO Box 211, 121019 Moscow, Russia.
    tel/fax 7-095-2983087
    e-mail: anc@cci.glasnet.ru


back to radiation | rat haus | Index | Search