People ask me all the time: which is healthier, soda or diet soda? The answer is neither. Both contain ingredients that are hazardous to human health.
The same argument could be applied to nuclear power. The nuke industry has been greenwashing nuclear power for quite some time now. While it doesn’t release greenhouse gases, it certainly has risks beyond climate change. Basically, nuclear power is safe until it something happens. Typically something happens that we didn’t expect to happen.
The levies in New Orleans we built to withstand a Category 3 hurricane. Katrina was a Category 4. The nuke plants in Japan were built to withstand an earthquake that registers 7 on the Richter scale, last week’s quake registered 9.
As I write this, heroic measures are being taken in Japan to prevent a meltdown. It feels like the BP oil disaster all over again as they douse the burning plants with water from helicopters. Hopefully something will help stop this nightmare.
Meanwhile, the next time you hear an ad that claims Indian Point is “Safe, Secure and Vital”, think twice about the silly statements you’re hearing or reading. Hopefully the silver lining of this crisis will result in a renewed effort to close unsafe nuke plants across this country.
