The Oil Drum

59 comments on Peak Oil Booklet - Chapter 2: Is This a False Alarm?

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Charles S on July 17, 2007 - 7:05pm

Of course, each side of the nuclear debate will take away what they will from the incident. The problem to me is WHO should be the one get to decide the "calculated risks" are acceptable for a specific site? If there were no NIMBYs, BANANAs, (or whatever negative labels people want to put on citizenry participation) to act as an opposing force to the vendors who are eager to promote the project, then descriptions like "pass with flying colors" would be the only news the public gets.

Coal, Wind, and even small-scale roof-top solar gets opposition from all sides, so nuclear is not the only red-head stepchild that pro-nuclear groups like paint. I believe Japan is much like France in terms of positive public opinion for nuclear energy. However, now, the news reports that its citizens' trusts are eroding, due to many incidents in the past (which of course, often get brushed aside as "minor" human errors). So what new terms can we dream up to ridicule the ex-pro-nuclear crowd?

My other point is that it is irrelevant how long a power plant can be build because of some "evil entity" obstructing progress, safety and trust should come first. If citizens know that they are not being scammed or held hostage by their power providers, I think any number of power plants can come online in a relative short time.

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Flagg707 on July 18, 2007 - 5:08pm

Valid points - but it comes down to who get's to decide and who get's to define the terms. Right now, those who create the headlines and those who edit the TV news reports get to decide how people will perceive events.

In regards to the Japanese situation, the plants actually operated in an outstanding manner. They were hit with a 6.8 earthquake and immediately shut down, safely. A few drums of Low Level Waste fell over and spilled liquid contamination into the sea. There is as much radioactivity in a shipment of bananas[1] (the yummy kind, not the concerned citizen kind), if not more, than there is in a typical LLW canister.

In light of those facts, what are the headlines that are being pimped out to the public?

"Japan Nuke Plant Leak Worse Than Thought"[2]

"Japan Company Admits Radioactive Leak Bigger Than Announced"[3]

Etc.

For someone who is not an engineer or familiar with nuclear science, such headlines are frightening and breed distrust. No one tells them that every second, their bodies undergo 6000 nuclear reactions, complete with gamma rays, beta particles and alpha emissions[4]. So how are they supposed to make a reasoned judgment?

Now, when power outages strike their towns[5] they may find incentive to dig deeper into the facts, but how many will really do that?

So, if I sounded a bit cynical, well, its because I am.

Back on topic, it still means that nuclear power has a huge barrier to climb in terms of public perception - all NIMBY or BANANA terms aside.

[1] http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/Journal/Issues/2004/Oct/abs1440.html
[2] http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6788809,00.html
[3] http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1184672478639&pagename=JPost%...
[4] http://www.europhysicsnews.com/full/13/article4/article4.html
[5] http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070719TDY03001.htm