He Mihi - An Introduction The Hills - Site Map The Bus - Upcoming Events The Kitchen - Free Software The Toilet - Recommended Reading The Garage - Performance Review The Garden - Selected Writings The Office - Research The Jukebox - Free Music The Diner - Laughter Therapy Useful Stuff Making Windows Work Web Page Making

English MP George Galloway is know for taking controversial stances but one which confused many of his left-liberal allies was going into bat for Iran's right to develop nuclear energy. My comments made on Aotearoa.Indymedia.org at the time are worth noting as a summary of my reason for opposing the use of nuclear technology for military of civilian purposes. The point that Galloway is making is one of consistency. He argues quite fairly that if other nations are allowed nuclear facilities for peaceful purposes then Iran should not be singled out for developing them. Similarly he argues that if Israel and other middle-eastern nations are allowed to have nuclear weapons then this is not a justification for the military action against Iran that the Uk/Usa have been planning (like the invasion of Iraq) for many years (see Project for a New American Century). Now I reject the right of ANY nation to develop nuclear facilities for ANY purpose because of the massive threat they pose to the continued health and safety of the ecosphere, including us. Which is why its high time for a renewed global anti-nuclear movement. The people of the world must demand total nuclear disarmament (especially since the thin excuse of the cold war is over and nukes are worse than useless against nationless terrorists but quite useful to them). We must also oppose the development of new nuclear energy facilities. The mining of fuel for nuclear fission creates wastes which continue to be dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years.  The enrichment of the fuel creates a cocktail of poisons including fluoride compounds and depleted uranium (DU). The health effect of DU are discussed in retired chemist Dr Robert Anderson's book 'The Greatest War Crime'. The use of the fuel to generate energy creates wastes that also remain fiercely radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years. After their relatively brief useful life the reactors themselves remain radioactive for a similiar timescale.  Then there is the fact of peak nuclear - a fact notably absent in any form from pro-nuclear propoganda. According to some estimates all nuclear fuel at CURRENT demand will be exhausted before 2050. Adding further generated capacity can only accelerate this decline and is a waste of resources that should be devoted to energy efficiency and development of localised energy systems that use genuinely renewable energy sources like solar, wind, tidal, biomass and voluntary human labour (perhaps the most efficient and humane implementation of biomass energy).