Nuclear option: Adi Roche says Ireland should commit to renewables rather than nukes.

in modern warfare, nuclear facilities themselves can function as potential radiological weapons — “dirty bombs” whose consequences could be catastrophic without a single warhead being deployed.

Chornobyl activist ADI ROCHE says Ireland should resist the push to adopt nuclear power generation,

Irish Examiner 11 May, 2026 -Adi Roche

I am a firm believer in the philosophy that “we do not own this Earth … we borrow it from our children and our children’s children” and that nothing is more important than the protection of our environment.

I constantly remind myself that this Earth is our common and only home, a beautiful grain of life spinning in the depths of the universe. But now, in a nuclear age, a time of grave mortal danger, with our very existence on the cusp, our planet has become so fragile in the hands of man.

This planet is our children’s inheritance, and we are only its custodians.

Ireland had long and healthy debates on the subject of nuclear power in the late ’70s and ’80s, and the people concluded that the inherent and unique dangers that come with it were not worth the risk for future generations.

Those “future generations” are now young adults and have the privilege of inheriting a nuclear-free Ireland.

So, the discussion on nuclear power, once more, needs to focus on those that have yet to be born and what kind of world we want them to inherit.

In this 40th anniversary year of the greatest environmental catastrophe in the history of mankind, I am reminded that Chornobyl has become a symbol — a potent and enduring metaphor for catastrophe.

Chornobyl and Fukushima

It is a cautionary tale we need to take heed of, making sure it never happens again. If we do not learn from the past, we will not be able to understand the present or make proper decisions for our future.

Chornobyl and Fukushima are stark reminders of what can go wrong, with consequences that endure for generations exposing the vulnerability of humanity to sudden, profound change — whether from nature or from human hands.

None of the original arguments questioning nuclear power have changed. If anything, the world we now inhabit has deepened and sharpened them.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

When Russian troops invaded Ukraine through the “Chornobyl exclusion zone”, the most radioactive place on earth, the unthinkable became reality: A nuclear facility was transformed into an instrument of war with catastrophic potential. The invasion on February 24, 2024, marked a decisive turning point not only in geopolitics, but in how we must understand the true risks of nuclear energy.

This cavalier act made a nuclear threat without making a nuclear threat, and for the first time in the history of the atomic age, a nuclear power plant was weaponised not by firing missiles, but by occupying and controlling it.

The subsequent targeting and takeover of Zaporizhzhia demonstrated that, in modern warfare, nuclear facilities themselves can function as potential radiological weapons — “dirty bombs” whose consequences could be catastrophic without a single warhead being deployed.

We must re-examine how we look at energy through this deeply unsettling prism. The risks that once seemed theoretical are no longer abstract. They are immediate, real, and global.

Against this backdrop, Ireland must reject any drift towards nuclear power and instead commit fully to renewable, sustainable energy solutions.

Invest in renewables

Strong political will and sustained investment in research and development for renewable, clean energy, championed by pioneers such as Professor Brian Ó Gallachóir at UCC, represent the greatest gift we can offer to our world and to future generations.

Nuclear power depends on a highly radioactive finite resource, uranium, which, even when unmined, poses huge health damage risk. Studies suggest that, at current consumption rates, uranium supplies could be depleted within two decades. To invest heavily in a system reliant on a dwindling resource is short-sighted.

Against this backdrop, Ireland must reject any drift towards nuclear power and instead commit fully to renewable, sustainable energy solutions.

Invest in renewables

At a time when Ireland is striving to build a resilient and sustainable energy future, replacing one finite resource with another is a false solution.

True sustainability lies in harnessing what is abundant and enduring: Wind, solar, tidal, and other renewable energies that are native to our island and free from geopolitical volatility.

Perhaps the most enduring indictment of nuclear power is one that has never been solved — the safe disposal of radioactive waste, which becomes the raw material for nuclear weapons. Decades into the nuclear age, there is still no permanent, fail-safe method of managing this hazardous material.

There are hundreds of extremely hazardous nuclear waste silos dotted around the world.

Nuclear waste remains radioactive for centuries and the risk of contamination, whether through leakage, human error, or environmental change, cannot be eliminated. The possibility that radioactive material could seep into water supplies or ecosystems is a burden we would impose not only on ourselves, but on countless future generations. What an unbearable weight of destruction we are placing on the shoulders of those yet to be born.

Ireland stands at an important crossroads. We have the opportunity and the responsibility to choose a different path. Rather than investing in a technology fraught with risk and uncertainty, we can lead by example in the transition to renewable energy totally powered by nature.

All we need is political vision, courage, and foresight for energy independence on behalf of future generations, so we are no longer reliant on the politics on the international stage.

The existential threats we face today are all created by human decisions. That means the solutions are also in our hands. Through co-operation, diplomacy, and moral leadership, it is still possible to reverse our current trajectory towards catastrophe.

Our windswept coasts, powerful tides, and advancing solar capacity offer us a sustainable, secure, and peaceful alternative.

By embracing renewables, we not only address the climate crisis, but also safeguard our future from the escalating risks of nuclear power in an unstable world……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-41841921.html