Comment: Great Article! The State of Virginia leaders should read the article. The state of Virginia has been brainwashed by the nuke bunch from Canada and France that Virginia needs nuke power and Virginia should blow up her hills to remove the uranium! The state of Virginia is being lead down the nuke path by the ring in her nose because France and Canada wants the money to carry home and pass around to their cronies! The state of Virginia needs to kick the nuke people to the curb and take care of her people first! Demand our Virginia leaders to ban uranium mining and milling now!
CRYSTAL RHYNO – Herald-Tribune staff
Nuclear power critic Dr. Gordon Edwards chose not to speak about the advantages of nuclear power because he assumed most people have heard them.
At the Grande Prairie Regional College last evening, Edwards spoke for nearly three hours on the topic of Nuclear in Alberta: Unanswered Questions.
“People are finding it difficult to get objective information, that is to hear both sides of the story,” said Edwards, president of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility with 30 years of nuclear power consulting under his belt.
Edwards delivered a lengthy and wide-spanning power-point presentation on everything from the historical use of nuclear reactions, the Chernobyl disaster, insurance policies in the event of a nuclear disaster, to the health effects of radiation.
“This is too important an issue to allow the government of Alberta to take a snap decision on,” said Edwards.
Edwards referred to various wind projects in places like Germany, and urged governments to always consider putting alternatives on the table when discussing nuclear power.
If you build a windfarm and you decide 10 years later you don’t like it, you can just take it down and forget it,” he said, arguing there are many alternatives to nuclear energy.
“You can’t do that with a nuclear plant. Once you decide to go that route, it’s a permanent decision. You can’t turn around again.” Edwards urged communities to let government know they should do what they can to slow down their decision-making and to look to alternatives when it comes to energy.
“And to think long and hard before going down that route,” said Edwards. “What’s the rush?”
Additionally, Edwards pointed out, the Alberta government should seriously consider creating an expert panel on alternatives and energy efficiencies.
“Because otherwise it’s sort of like going into a store and not even looking around, not looking to see what other merchandise is on sale,” he said. “That’s really an important thing.”
Close to 80 people took in the presentation, including members of the local activist group Stop Poisoning Our Communities (SPOC) and the Coalition for a Nuclear- Free Alberta, which sponsored the evening.
Mark Townsend, who works in the forestry division of Alberta Sustainable Development, listened to the presentation to get a better feel of the argument against nuclear power.
“For a while I have been of the opinion nuclear power would be an interim step to reduce the carbon emissions in the atmosphere until we come up with some technologies to deal with the waste,” said Townsend. “But now hearing his argument, I am not wholly convinced nuclear power is a viable solution.”
Townsend had some questions in mind about costs associated with nuclear waste. He felt Edwards answered his general concerns.
“A lot of those costs aren’t answered now in terms of what are we going to do with the waste in the long term,” said Townsend.
After listening to the presentation, Townsend said he is swaying to the side against nuclear power.
“It would be interesting for Bruce Power (planning a nuclear power plant in the Peace River area) to come in and give their presentation,” said Townsend. “Then you could have both sides and people could make up their minds.”
To learn more about the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility, visit www.ccnr.org.
http://dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1710854
CRYSTAL RHYNO – Herald-Tribune staff
Nuclear power critic Dr. Gordon Edwards chose not to speak about the advantages of nuclear power because he assumed most people have heard them.
At the Grande Prairie Regional College last evening, Edwards spoke for nearly three hours on the topic of Nuclear in Alberta: Unanswered Questions.
“People are finding it difficult to get objective information, that is to hear both sides of the story,” said Edwards, president of the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility with 30 years of nuclear power consulting under his belt.
Edwards delivered a lengthy and wide-spanning power-point presentation on everything from the historical use of nuclear reactions, the Chernobyl disaster, insurance policies in the event of a nuclear disaster, to the health effects of radiation.
“This is too important an issue to allow the government of Alberta to take a snap decision on,” said Edwards.
Edwards referred to various wind projects in places like Germany, and urged governments to always consider putting alternatives on the table when discussing nuclear power.
If you build a windfarm and you decide 10 years later you don’t like it, you can just take it down and forget it,” he said, arguing there are many alternatives to nuclear energy.
“You can’t do that with a nuclear plant. Once you decide to go that route, it’s a permanent decision. You can’t turn around again.” Edwards urged communities to let government know they should do what they can to slow down their decision-making and to look to alternatives when it comes to energy.
“And to think long and hard before going down that route,” said Edwards. “What’s the rush?”
Additionally, Edwards pointed out, the Alberta government should seriously consider creating an expert panel on alternatives and energy efficiencies.
“Because otherwise it’s sort of like going into a store and not even looking around, not looking to see what other merchandise is on sale,” he said. “That’s really an important thing.”
Close to 80 people took in the presentation, including members of the local activist group Stop Poisoning Our Communities (SPOC) and the Coalition for a Nuclear- Free Alberta, which sponsored the evening.
Mark Townsend, who works in the forestry division of Alberta Sustainable Development, listened to the presentation to get a better feel of the argument against nuclear power.
“For a while I have been of the opinion nuclear power would be an interim step to reduce the carbon emissions in the atmosphere until we come up with some technologies to deal with the waste,” said Townsend. “But now hearing his argument, I am not wholly convinced nuclear power is a viable solution.”
Townsend had some questions in mind about costs associated with nuclear waste. He felt Edwards answered his general concerns.
“A lot of those costs aren’t answered now in terms of what are we going to do with the waste in the long term,” said Townsend.
After listening to the presentation, Townsend said he is swaying to the side against nuclear power.
“It would be interesting for Bruce Power (planning a nuclear power plant in the Peace River area) to come in and give their presentation,” said Townsend. “Then you could have both sides and people could make up their minds.”
To learn more about the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility, visit www.ccnr.org.
http://dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1710854
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