Jimbonic,

You say:

“In the meantime, it is commonsense to at least play safe”

Yes, indeed.

And given that nuclear power is about the safest means of electricity generation, and 10 to 100 times safer than what we currently accept as our main source of electricity, isn’t it just “commonsense” that we should move as quickly as possible to adopt the safest and cleanest form of electricity generation – and the only one that can provide the quantity of electricity we need to meet our demand?

Isn’t that just “commonsense”?

If you agree, then isn’t it “commonsense” for the anti-nuclear activists to switch their advocacy and become enthusiastic supporters of the removal of all the impediments to nuclear power?

I find this whole debate grossly misleading for reasons that I do not understand.

It is perfectly true to state that the is no safe level of radiation.

However it is also true to state that there is nowhere on earth where radiation does not exist. Moreover, every 21 metre increase in altitude above sea level results in an increase of 1% in background radiation. (I wonder why that is not mentioned by the airlines). Travelling at 11000 metres means that radiation is more that 5 times what it is at sea level, and this is something that has to be considered by frequent passengers and aircrew.

The argument that nuclear power should be avoided because weapons can be made from the used fuel rods ignores the reactors (particularly thorium) that do not produce fissile by-products.

Conventional mining of coal around the world results in around 50,000 deaths of miners each year (mainly in China), and this is hardly mentioned. An event like Fukashima, which has not yet resulted in one death, is frontpage news.

The one optimistic thing about all this is that 100 years ago similar scare stories were spread about the use of electricity. With more familiarity, we seem to have got over this. Let us hope that the same will apply to nuclear.

Nuclear fission is only a passing phase until fusion is perfected. Fusion is the way of the future, without it mankind is doomed.