Doctors warn against nuclear industry
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Nuclear power could bring us more than we bargain for say Australian doctors.
December 7, 2005 - 12:04PM
Radioactive waste from nuclear power plants cannot be dealt with in a safe and effective way, a group of eminent doctors has warned.
As debate over the government's plans to force a nuclear waste dump on the Northern Territory continued in the Senate on Wednesday, the 18 doctors released a statement warning against the expansion of the nuclear industry.
Citing concerns that any expansion of nuclear power would increase the proliferation of nuclear weapons, increase the risk of nuclear terrorism and increase the risk of nuclear accidents, the doctors said the industry should not be encouraged.
"Calls for Australians to consider nuclear power for domestic use are unnecessary and counterproductive," they said.
"Jumping out of the climate change frying pan into the fire of increased nuclear risk would at best be swapping one set of serious problems for another, while setting back the work of implementing real, sustainable solutions to climate change."
Science Minister Brendan Nelson also has proposed a $1 million research study into a nuclear power industry for Australia.
The doctors said the issue of radioactive waste was insurmountable.
"The problem of nuclear waste is intractable, a burden irresponsibly imposed on countless future generations.
"No nation has in place a satisfactory plan to deal with the tens of tonnes of high-level radioactive waste produced by each nuclear power plant each year.
"No human institution has survived for the length of time necessary to safeguard this waste."
The Senate is debating two bills that will give the federal government power to override a range of laws, including any passed by the NT government, that might frustrate a nuclear waste dump there.
The move came after the government last year abandoned plans for a dump in South Australia following community protest.
The government will now canvass three sites on commonwealth land in the NT - Mount Everard and Harts Range near Alice Springs and Fishers Ridge, near Katherine.
The Australian Greens have suggested a number of amendments to the legislation, including preventing overseas nuclear waste making its way to Australia, reinstating the right of indigenous communities to veto a dump on sacred sites, and removing absolute ministerial power over where the dump will be.
The doctors, from a range of backgrounds at various universities across the country, released their statement through the Medical Association for Prevention of War (MAPW)
© 2005 AAP
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Doctors-warn-against-nuclear-indu...
A political lobby of 18 Doctors is still a political lobby.
It is of little import as to WHO makes an opinion, if that opinion is become disassociated with the facts of the situation. There is also the perennial question of veracity and accuracy of the 'numbers' so often mentioned with regard to Uranium use by these 'lobby groups' and the 'blanketing' of 'waste statistics' to include handling equipment as if it was an actual Fuel Rod, in the 'waste statistics. Most certainly, there is NOT tens of thousands of tonnes of Uranium used yearly by a Uranium plant, that quantity is measured in kilograms.
But if not Uranium, then there is more than ample Gas to fire the generation of electrical power, it is only burnt off at present as it is artificially too expensive to use at present.
But either way however it is in the end the ability to produce the ~300 Trillion watt/hours projected as needed increasing from the present ~180 Trillion watt/hours over the next ~25 years that is of primary concern.
Also, it is only a 'statement', from 18 Doctors from within a lobby group that is NOT a Medical association but a political lobby, the "Medical Association for Prevention of War', as such that is articled here. Let us all hope they are all more careful in keeping abreast of medical journals, else we might need to get engineers to take up medical practice.
Your's
Peter K Anderson aka Hartlod
hartlod@bigpond.com
(The word 'Hartlod' in the registered Trademark of Peter K Anderson.)
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