Rehabilitating nuclear power

Patrick Moore, a founding member of Greenpeace International, argues in Die Welt for the sustained use of atomic energy to achieve climate protection goals. "Today I firmly believe that the campaign against nuclear energy was misguided. We made the mistake of putting nuclear weapons and nuclear energy in the same boat, as if everything nuclear were evil. ... We could not distinguish between the beneficial and the destructive use of nuclear technology. ... Environmental organisations alleging that wind and solar energy could replace the major nuclear and coal-fired power plants are irresponsibly misleading public opinion. It is simply impossible to supply power to hospitals, factories, schools and homes with energy sources that do not function for days at a time. ... Even if you factor in the consequences of Chernobyl, nuclear energy remains one of the safest industries in the world. ... Is it not time the environmental movement accepted that nuclear power is not a threat, but a promise of safe, clean energy that uses the most powerful technology we possess to replace fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions?"

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