I See No Reason to Change My Mind about Nukes

… in either direction, unlike either Bill McKibben or George Monbiot.

On the one hand, the nuclear problems were not unexpected. We can expect alarming news every couple of decades. (I did not make up this analysis on the spur of the moment; I've been saying similar things for years.)

On the other hand, things were getting a bit dicey for a while. There was a possibility of disaster. (There's also a possibility of disaster for such technologies as stored biomass, hydroelectricity, and tides as well as a certainty of disaster from coal and oil.)

By the way, what is the origin of the claim that “They said this accident was impossible.”? As far as I can tell, this claim is spread from person to person without coming in contact with reality. It resembles the claim that Christopher Columbus discovered the world was round (something that is learned in school but not from teachers).

It might be based on the idea that “They” cover up problems because that's what “They” do. In a related story, I was on the Long Island Rail Road train that followed the one Colin Ferguson shot up. When we got to Merillon Avenue, I noticed the parking lot was filled with ambulances. I remarked “I don't know what happened but there's bound to be headlines about it tomorrow.” Someone else sitting nearby said that “They” would hush it up. The belief that “They” hush things up doesn't always hold.