By Democracy Now!
March 30th 2011
The crisis in Japan has refueled the rigorous global debate about the viability of nuclear power. Japan remains in a "state of maximum alert" as the experts scramble to contain radiation that is leaking from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. Nuclear energy remains a controversial topic in climate change discourse, as environmental activists argue how to best reduce the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere—often the debate pits one non-renewable energy against another as renewable energy technology and research remains underfunded. Democracy Now! hosts a debate today about the future of nuclear energy between British journalist George Monbiot and Dr. Helen Caldicott. Monbiot has written extensively about the environmental and health dangers caused by burning coal for energy, and despite the Fukushima catastrophe, stands behind nuclear power. Caldicott is a world-renowned anti-nuclear advocate who has spent decades warning of the medical hazards posed by nuclear technologies, and while agreeing about the dangers of burning coal, insists the best option is to ban nuclear power.
Mr George Monbiot!
ReplyDeleteHow dare you discredit Helen Caldicott's research into the effects of radiation on people. Are you not also aware of the ever increasing cancer rates!
Are you not even aware of the effects of the nuclear reactor in Sellafield even in your own country!?
"Dr Chris Busby, a Green Party radiation expert, has revealed a "20 year culture of nuclear cover up" that has, until now, obscured a childhood cancer level ten times the national average along the North Wales coast."
http://www.iema.net/news/envnews?aid=4457
And that's even before considering the cancer clusters near the Aldermaston Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Aldermaston and Burghfield - in surrounding villages and towns like Newbury.
Shame on you!
I am stunned. George Monbiot wrote good articles on the Guardian in the past.
ReplyDeleteGiven what has happened in Japan, and in Chernobyl more than 20 years ago, one would surely suggest not using nuclear fission, but to use renewable energy available right now, and have more intelligent usage of energy.
Nuclear fission is not a solution to replace the obsolete, dangerous, polluting, and non-renewable oil, gas, and coal.