This neat combination of two of the earliest nuclear myths – the supposed special effect on life and unlimited potential – has had knock-on effects for industry and the public ever since, notably now in Fukushima prefecture where many members of the public fear levels of radiation that are lower than natural background levels found in other parts of the world.
One summary is that we set out to scare ourselves about nuclear weapons, but we scared ourselves about nuclear power at the same time.
Related: Radiophobia increasing in Japan’s markets (scroll down.)
h/t Eric A.
Well, that first article is basically right, but it kind of reads at the fourth-grade level. Almost painful to read it through to the end.
First off, the biggest problem nuclear power has is a remnant of the COLD WAR….
The Kremlin backed the unilateral nuclear disarmament movements for obvious reasons. What was more covert was the backing of resistance to nuclear power generation for the same obvious motive.
Because the fissionable material for weapons is only produced in nuclear reactors, having nuclear power banned would deny material for making nuclear weapons to the west….
One movement’s intent was designed to give the USSR a nuclear monopoly….the other would bestow nuclear supremacy.
Yep, it really was a communist plot.
Ooooooooooh we all know that “the rays” will getcha. To avoid them, eat no bananas and live in an old mine
5 km underground. A mine in old, radon-free rock.
Nuclear power generation (by fission) is dead.
A little earthquake, a little water resulted in a major disaster.
They blew up, on TV, I saw it, watch the video yourself, the science is settled – they are not safe. Mega-ton piles of radioactive waste that we have no idea how to clean up safely.
Even the reactor that was off when the earthquake hit melted.
The fact that nobody died this time does not mean thousands won’t next time.
Can’t wait to buy into some of the new condo’s that will be going up in Fukishima – cheap and affordable.
May buy a couple and sell for a small management fee, anyone interested in buying for retirement?
From the article: “Today, neither top-down nor bottom-up systems seem effective at tackling the current main global issue of climate change, which is becoming gradually more and more frightening to the public. But it’s possible that a new period may be starting and may well offer a third option.”
Totally disagree; IMO the issue of climate change is actually becoming gradually less and less frightening to the public, way down on the list of their concerns for the environment and especially when compared to all economic, political and social issues.
IOW it has been discredited along with the phobia around nuclear power, especially on the issue of nuclear waste (the Candu reactor is a heavy water reactor that uses spent fuel rods from light water reactors as fuel, so it recycles nuclear waste!).
Not so. It was a big earthquake, and the casualties from Fukushima were negligible. The earthquake and tsunami, which killed about 16,000 people. Not so many as the Boxing day tsunami of 2004.
The evacuation from Fukushima has reportedly accounted for 1600 people.
Yes, it is well understood how to dispose of radioactive waste. The problem was solved at Chalk River.
Nuclear isn’t dangerous. Hydro is, BTW.
The French gov’t has always liked nuclear power, and their nuclear company has designed a series of pocket
reactors, which will no doubt be popular in regions which cannot get petroleum for whatever reason.
Agreed, petroleum will rule for the next 50 years. A friend said, “it isn’t true that all the oil is gone. Rather, all
the easily recoverable oil is gone. But shale oil and fracking, and horizontal drilling, will see us for a long time.
Fukushima pushed back the nuclear industry for at least a decade or more. They still don’t have a handle on it and the mis-truths by the company is eroded any trust in the industry. It seems management at that particular plant played a part in the problem, a similar plant down the coast went through the same problems but managed to solve them in time. I agree there are much better designs out there and these older plants need to be replaced with newer and safer ones.
I have a “newer and safer” reactor design. Would you believe me if I was from:
TEPCO
Westinghouse
Canada (Harper)
USA (Obama)
Moet and Chandon
We want to build it next to your house . . . it’s safe. Trust us !
“A little earthquake, a little water resulted in a major disaster”
What utter crap. The earthquake was 9.0, the largest ever recorded, and certainly one of the largest ever in human history. The tsunami was 14 metres, that’s 56 feet, certainly the largest to hit a civilized area in the past century. And you say, a little earthquake, a little water?
Fact is, the plant rode through the earthquake just fine. If the tidal barrier had been 20 feet higher, no one would ever have heard of Fukushima.
A friend lost his toes by work place accident because gangrene set in. 2009. Upon reading up on gangrene I found out we had a better success rate of treatment at the end of WW2 than we do now. The reason was because then we treated it with radiation. Now we don’t.
Does anyone know if I’m mis-remembering?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3526332/#__abstractid621037title
Abstract
While the use of x-rays to treat patients with gas gangrene ended in the early 1940’s with the advent of antibiotics, x-ray had been widely accepted as a useful and highly effective treatment for this condition. The present paper re-assesses the historical foundations of this belief, the quality of the data, use of confirmatory animal models, and underlying mechanisms that might account for the therapeutic role of x-rays in the treatment of gas gangrene.
I don’t know where you are from and I don’t believe you. (It’s the way ya tell ’em.)
I’d sooner have a nuclear plant next door to me, than a wind farm a mile away. Less noise, and I wouldn’t have to buy night lights.
The wind farm can’t power the night lights so no worries there, either.
As far as fatalaties/gigawatt, nuclear power is the safest form of energy ever.
“…….nuclear power is the safest form of energy ever.”
Yeah, including Chernobyl….which was a total cluster*****…..stupid design, stupid maintainence and stupid operators and a stupid response.
One thing that Chernobyl accomplished was to present a worst case scenario and disproved the famous “China Syndrome”…..a creation of Hollywood propagandists……The same crowd who gave us “Gasland”.
The has never been an injury nor a fatality in North America from Nuclear Power.
Nuclear power..if done right…should be the answer to all of humanity’s energy needs.
However, utilizing U235 is not the answer in my opinion.
Back in the early 40’s, there were 2 nuclear options: Fissile U235 & Thorium based reactors. The US chose U235 because weapons could be built as well as generating power…but with all the issues that plague them.
There are numerous advantages to Thorium as a base fuel.
The reaction can be controlled using liquid Fluoride as opposed to water..so no need to situate near water.
The fuel is plentiful and is completely used up…no toxic waste. as for an ROE..oil is 8:1…..Thorium is closer to 1000:1
This needs to be talked about and pilot projects implemented to fully prove this promising tech.
Not an expert on this and went from memory for this post…
Cheers,
Stk
I would rather a nuclear power plant (esp. if what I hear of Thorium based reactors is true) be near my house than an organic food farm be in the same watershed.
No need for new reactor types. Existing CANDU reactors such as those in Ontario can easily use thorium fuel without modification. Old technology developed years ago at Chalk River. CANDUs are the only commercial power reactors in existence today which can readily use thorium.
It’s primarily about fears and phobias.
A phobia is an unreasoning fear…..Islamaphobia is an oxymoron…fear of Islam is about as rational as it gets…..perhaps the only exception to the notion that people fear what they do not understand and hate what they fear. It really can be confusing.
Phobia of nuclear power is classic fear/hate of what is not understood.
I am unsure if RIMcMT is a fearful ignoramous or just seditious/treasonous.