nuclear-news

Developing the myths of nuclear power as cheap and safe

The myth of radiation being very interesting but not dangerous was however firmly debunked by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, but not without a last ditch attempt by the occupying Allied Powers to protect it – by arresting and deporting any journalist who talked about radiation deaths.

The Nuclear Power Mercantilist Myth :: The Market Oracle :: By Andrew McKillop, 19 April 11, “…..COSTS DIDNT MATTERThe atom scientists of the 1930s with names we still know today, for example Fermi and Einstein, argued about those subjects but, being scientists, were not specially concerned what it would all cost. Only later, with the founding of the UN’s atomic energy agency in 1956 – a promotional agency for nuclear power – were the key subjects of entrepreneurial effort and the obligatorily linked need for government subsidies brought into the fray. This was sold as creating a future world where atomic arms will be changed to power plant ploughshares. While atomic weapons were expensive, the ploughshares would be cheap if we spent enough investing in them.

Another handicap for the 1930s atom scientists making it hard for them to get an idea how much nuclear power would cost, and which cost several of them their very own lives from cancer death, was that at that time, 75 years ago, they knew little and therefore cared little about radiation and what it does to living things. The myth of radiation being very interesting but not dangerous was however firmly debunked by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, but not without a last ditch attempt by the occupying Allied Powers to protect it – by arresting and deporting any journalist who talked about radiation deaths. Estimates of radiation deaths from these two bombs vary widely, depending on the cut-off time interval for making an estimate and also hindered by the Allied Powers blackout on radiation deaths, but in total these were likely more than 100 000.
Today with the Fukushima disaster making it suddenly OK to openly doubt that nuclear power is clean, safe and cheap it is easy to find the radiological equivalent of these 6 industry standard BWR power plants and their fuel ponds. Anywhere up to 15 000 times the combined release of radiation from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs.

The Nuclear Power Mercantilist Myth :: The Market Oracle :: Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting Free Website

April 19, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, history, spinbuster