Nuclear Madness

Nuclear energy is being touted as clean and green. However, the environment and economic cost of nuclear accidents, uranium mining and nuclear powered submarines tell a different story. 

The economic cost of the clean up of Fukushima has been $7.3 billion dollars a year since the nuclear disaster in 2011 and no end is in sight.¹ There have now been 7 discharges of radioactive waste water from Fukushima into the Pacific, releasing a total of 23,589 m3 of contaminated water and approximately 8.9 trillion becquerels of tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen. ².

We do not know what the potential effects of increasing the level of tritium and other radioactive isotopes in the ocean will be on marine systems, commercial and recreational fishing or on human health – and this dumping is planned to go on for 30 years. 'We've seen an inadequate radiological, ecological impact assessment',  Robert Richmond, marine biologist and a professor with the University of Hawaii commented.³

As for uranium mining, facilities produce tailings that pose serious environmental and health risks ^4 5Rehabilitation of mines is also expensive with the rehabilitation of Ranger uranium mine, 250 km from Darwin, having been reported to have blown out to $2.2 billion.⁶

Finally, instead of the latest insanity of AUKUS, costing an estimated $11 billion a year for 32 years, let’s tell our government to use this money to address some more pressing issues such as climate change, homelessness, closing the gap and domestic violence.

ACTIONS:

Sign ACF's nuclear free petition

For further information see:

Don't Nuke the Climate

Friends of the Earth Australia's Nuclear Free Campaign

References:

Photo of Terumi Kataoka at a mass rally in Tokyo. Photographer Ryohei Kataoka.