Irrational Fear of Nuclear Energy

While it is true that the human being is a supremely intelligent creature, it is also clear that we make systematic and very basic errors in reasoning. More recently, the errors that one could point come from the radioactive leakage at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant following  the massive earthquake in Japan weeks ago. In addition to the many deaths that this event precipitated, it also led to the failure of safety systems for Japan's nuclear power plants with a couple of reactors suffering structural damage and causing radiation levels to rise above levels that are considered safe.  

One could easily have anticipated the flurry of activity around countries with nuclear energy plants about the levels of safety. To my mind, the damage caused to the reactors were on account of the intensity of the earth quake. In spite of the clear lesson about the fact that overall, the structures were fine save that an earthquake of that severity is of low probability, calls for a halt on all nuclear energy production work were heard from all over.  It is gratifying however that while this has been going on and those who support commercial development of nuclear energy have been on the defensive, some rare support has come from George Monbiot of the Guardian. 

That article by a convert is worthy of reading because it splits apart the claims of the anti-nuclear lobby at a time when the nuclear industry needed friends in influential media. Lobbies tend to be poor listeners but here s some good advise from a convert.