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The Wastwater Gnomes

Marianne Birkby | 11.11.2009 10:45

- Field Sketches and Notes-

A new online book has been launched exploring the insanity of new nuclear build in the vicinity of the worlds most ferociously radioactive high level liquid wastes.


The book is the first in the chronicles of the 'Wastwater Gnomes' and has
been written and illustrated by Lakeland artist and anti nuclear
campaigner Marianne Birkby. The story explores the relationship of
Wastwater to the nuclear industry and questions the sanity of new build
when cooling the existing waste requires 4 million gallons of fresh water
from Britain's Favourite View every single day. The Norwegian government
commissioned a report in March which outlined the consequences of a
sustained stoppage of water to the cooling tanks as being of a magnitude
50 times worse than Chernobyl. On the 1st of April this year there was a
stoppage of cooling water to the high level liquid waste tanks which was
an incident described as being "hours away from catastrophe."

"This online book will be made freely available online at
Radiation Free Lakeland and other websites for people to see.

The inspiration for the book came during a sponsored walk around Wastwater
raising funds for children being born now who are affected by the
Chernobyl disaster over 20 years on.

One of the generous sponsors that day was a
diver whose aunt takes in Chernobyl children for holidays, giving a boost
to their radiation damaged immune systems. Wastwater is popular with
divers who bizarrely place garden gnomes at great depths. They risk their
lives for this act of bravado - an individual choice they take, to dive that
deep. The nuclear industry is risking our lives and livelihoods - giving
no choice apart from a sham consultation.

The industry and the state owe it to Cumbria to put all effort, time and
money into looking after existing wastes rather than forcing new and much more
dangerous nuclear reactors on Cumbria.

The online book can be viewed at the link below.

 http://www.blurb.com/books/949344

Note:
Any proceeds from this 'print on demand' POD book which can be viewed online will go directly to the campaign to protect the Lake District from the burial of nuclear waste
and new nuclear build.

Marianne Birkby
- e-mail: rafl@mariannebirkby.plus.com
- Homepage: http://web.mac.com/mariannebirkby1/iWeb/Radiation%20Free%20Lakeland/Radiation%20Free%20Lakeland.html