Tuesday, October 09, 2012

In place of a post on nuclear power

Since even before the disaster at Fukushima, I was planning a lengthy post (or series) considering the place of nuclear power amidst our climate and ecological crises. Towards this post, I now have thousands of words and scores of links (as I do on a number of other topics that are too large for me to find the time to address them with anything like the attention they deserve).

As it seems unlikely that I am going to publish these thoughts anytime in the immediate future (given other deadlines), it seemed like a waste if I did not at least point any thoughtful readers towards this discussion between George Monbiot and Theo Simon. Consisting of a somewhat lengthy email interchange over the last few months now published by George on his website, it is is far and away the best exploration that I have found of the some of the key ethical and political issues behind the nuclear debate, which can get often mired in the technical and economic aspects of the question (as important as they each are).

So consider this discussion a primer for the day when I get around to putting forward my own thoughts in public. For those who may be interested to know where I stand, I will simply say that I am deeply sympathetic to both authors. Now go and read the thread.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

William Irwin Thompson has an interesting perspective on nuclear power and lots more too on his Thinking Otherwise site which is a part of Wild River Review.

byron smith said...

IPS: Fukushima's water storage problem.

byron smith said...

Guardian: Sellafield mamagement sharply criticised by Commons committee.

"The total lifetime cost of dealing with this [waste] has continued to rise each year and has now reached £67.5bn."

byron smith said...

Monbiot: The end of nuclear power in the UK? Be careful what you wish for

The waste from fossil fuels is more dangerous and even more difficult to deal with than nuclear waste.

byron smith said...

TruthOut: Radiation poisoning from uranium mining. These too need to added to any tally of deaths from nuclear power.

byron smith said...

Reuters: Fukushima plant still leaking.