2011-03-13

Nuclear Spin

Horrifying news from Japan's 3 "shaken" nuclear reactors is god-given amunition for the anti-nuke lobby worldwide who are starting to question the protection schemes in Europe (e.g. Bundestag Green party or in Belgium).
This clearly is a case of spin and over-reaction, building upon populations' inner aversion for things they hardly understand, i.e. nuclear energy.
Can we please have an honest debate about this?

There is no way in hell we're going to be independent from fossile fuels or nuclear-generated energy for decades to come and this is largely due to failing government policies and subsidy mechanisms. Societies as a whole have to make dramatic shifts into renewables and sustainable energy production/consumption modi, but this is not going to happen without a lot of abuse and free-riders diverting energy subsidies. Take a look around your villagen and "admire" your neighbours' abusive installation of tax-paid voltaic cells on his roof. All those tax-evasiing measures should have been directed to other research. All of these efforts should be collectively harnassed instead of individually abused.

We seriously need to have a societal INFORMED debate on this. Why aren't we planting more windmill farms in Belgium? Why aren't we capatilzing on the nuclear-intellect we've gathered over the decades? Why are we going to force our population to depend on external energy supply (be that Gaz from Russia, or fossile fuels from the Gulf)?

Politicians, get to work. Yesterday.