Museo Nivola mobilizes against nuclear waste storage in Sardinia

On January 6, 2021, the Museo Nivola in Orani, Sardinia, published a post on its social media channels opposing the inclusion of 14 Sardinian sites in the Carta Nazionale delle Aree Potenzialmente Idonee (Cnapi), a map of potential locations for a national repository for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste. The document was drafted by Sogin, the state-owned company responsible for decommissioning Italian nuclear plants and managing waste. The museum's post, shared thousands of times, sparked public debate. Director Antonella Camarda stated that the museum believes it should be an active participant in contemporary cultural, social, and political debates, echoing artist Costantino Nivola's environmental activism. The museum referenced Nivola's 1969 poster 'Sardegna venduta' (Sardinia for Sale), published by Feltrinelli, which criticized political and economic policies that undermined Sardinians' future. President of the Fondazione Nivola, Giuliana Altea, emphasized the need for a non-ideological, constructive approach, calling on experts to inform the debate. The museum argues that Sardinia already hosts most of Italy's military bases and suffers from industrial pollution, and a nuclear waste repository would hinder sustainable development based on tourism and organic agriculture.