I’m headed out to Lansing shortly–hopefully I’ll be posting updates from the biggest protest MI’s capital has seen in a long time.
But I wanted to point out something funny (as in, “oh jeebus we’re all going to die” funny) about the American Nuclear Society’s talking points to try to convince Americans that nukes are still safe.
Here’s how those talking points start:
It is premature for the technical community to draw conclusions from the earthquake and tsunami tragedy in Japan with regard to the U.S. nuclear energy program. Many opposed to nuclear power will try to use this event to call for changes in the U.S. Japan is facing beyond a “worst case” disaster since we, the technical community, did not hypotheses an event of this magnitude. Thus far, even the most seriously damaged of Japan’s 54 reactors have not released radiation at levels that would harm the public. [my emphasis]
Aside from the false claim that none of the reactors have released radiation at levels that can hurt people (tell that to the Fukushima workers who are being treated) and the already-tired claim that we should wait to assess the damage, note the admission that the technical community doesn’t “hypotheses” events of this magnitude.
That’s an admission that the nuke industry doesn’t account for worse case scenario when they plan reactors: you know–things like 100 year floods and earthquakes and whatnot?
And that’s precisely the danger with nuclear power.