The Big Answer

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The Amazon blurb says that The world-renowned antinuclear activist's myth-busting look at the real costs and consequences of nuclear energy.

"Dr. Caldicott is one of the most articulate and passionate advocates of citizen action to remedy the nuclear and environmental crises."—from the citation for the 2003 Lannan Cultural Freedom Prize

Among the lies that have been spread over the years about nuclear-powered electricity are that it does not cause global warming or pollution (i.e., that it is "clean and green"), that it is inexpensive, and that it is safe (all lies)

In a world torn apart by wars over oil, many politicians are increasingly looking for alternative sources of energy—and their leading choice is often nuclear. Among the myths that have been spread over the years about nuclear-powered electricity are that it does not cause global warming or pollution (i.e., that it is "clean and green"), that it is inexpensive, and that it is safe. But the facts belie the barrage of nuclear industry propaganda:

• Nuclear power contributes to global warming

• The real costs of nuclear power are prohibitive (and taxpayers pick up most of them)

• There's not enough uranium in the world to sustain long-term nuclear power

• Potential for a catastrophic accident or terrorist attack far outweighs any benefits.

Nuclear power plants are perfect targets for terrorists

Trained as a physician, and—after four decades of antinuclear activism—thoroughly versed in the science of nuclear energy, the bestselling author of Nuclear Madness and Missile Envy here turns her attention from nuclear bombs to nuclear lightbulbs. As she makes meticulously clear in this damning book, the world cannot withstand either. The world-renowned antinuclear activist's myth-busting look at the real costs and consequences of nuclear energy.

Solar panels make free electric power but they are not too useful unless you live in a high-sunshine environment

Caldecott's latest antinuke book searingly debunks the claim that the impending "nuclear power renaissance," purported by some to be the only answer to global warming, is "clean and green." She covers all the bases, from the carbon emitted in the creation of nuclear power (higher than fossil fuels if the entire process from uranium mining to waste disposal is included) to the cost of nuclear plants (too high to be viable without large government subsidies) and the health risks and possibility of accidents and terrorists' access (more than we'd like to think). She also points out that, despite proponents' assurances, we still haven't found a safe place to store the waste materials for the necessary thousands of years, and that state-of-the-art nuclear plant technology is still full of unresolved problems. Caldecott's predictable alternative is also sensible: switch to wind and other benign renewables, turn down the thermostat, wear a sweater, use energy efficient lights and dry clothes on the clothesline. Detractors will complain that she is strident and incendiary, but those who believe that facts matter will want to read her frighteningly convincing argument.—Publishers Weekly, Reed Business Information

If you are running low on energy at home, use energy efficient lights and dry clothes on the clothesline (sure, turn your neighborhood into a ghetto!)

Never one to mince words, renowned physician and activist Caldicott presents exhaustive evidence to refute the now-resurgent claim that nuclear power is the solution to global warming. Eschewing hyperbole and speculation, Caldicott diligently presents the facts about the grave problems attendant on nuclear power. For starters, enormous amounts of fossil fuel are burned during the nuclear-energy process, and nuclear reactors use and pollute vast amounts of water. Radioactive emissions do escape and are released from nuclear facilities, and man-made radioactive elements regularly enter the food chain and our bodies to deleterious effect. Nuclear-power plants are vulnerable to natural disasters and to terrorists; all nuclear plants generate plutonium, seeding the proliferation of nuclear weapons; and we have yet to discover a safe place or method for storing waste that remains deadly for millennia. Add to that the scandalously corrupt and hypocritical economics and politics of nuclear power. So numerous and so severe are the problems Caldicott precisely records and clearly interprets that, as it stands today, nuclear power would appear to be a costly, dangerous, even ludicrous technology.—Booklist, American Library Association

Wind turbines make free electric power, but they have complicated issues, the worst of which is the number of birds they slice and dice

"The current administration clearly believes that if it lies frequently and with conviction, the general public will be lulled into believing their oft-repeated dictums. As this book will show, no part of “efficiently, safely, and with no discharge of greenhouse gases or emissions” is true. Nuclear energy creates significant greenhouse gases and pollution today, and is on a trajectory to produce as much as conventional sources of energy within the next one or two decades. It requires massive infusions of government (read taxpayer) subsidies, relying on universities and the weapons industry for its research and development, and being considered far too risky for private investors. It is also doubtful that the 8,358 individuals diagnosed between 1986 and 2001 with thyroid cancer in Belarus, downwind of Chernobyl, would choose the adjective “safe” to describe nuclear power.

nuclear power plants are unsafe, expensive, are terror targets, and have plenty of greenhouse gases and emissions

“As Helen Caldicott expertly shows, the nuclear path is strewn with hazards from mining, milling, transport, and power generation, and leaves unsolved the issues of safety, security, and storage.”—Paul R. Epstein, M.D., M.P.H. Center for Health and The Global Environment, Harvard Medical School

"Nuclear power is not “clean and green,” as the industry claims, because large amounts of traditional fossil fuels are required to mine and refine the uranium needed to run nuclear power reactors, to construct the massive concrete reactor buildings, and to transport and store the toxic radioactive waste created by the nuclear process. Burning of this fossil fuel emits significant quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2)—the primary “greenhouse gas”—into the atmosphere. In addition, large amounts of the now-banned chlorofluorocarbon gas (CFC) are emitted during the enrichment of uranium. CFC gas is not only 10,000 to 20,000 times more efficient as an atmospheric heat trapper (“greenhouse gas”) than CO2, but it is a classic “pollutant” and a potent destroyer of the ozone layer." (Source: Nuclear Power Is Not the Answer, Helen Caldicott, California Literary Review)

The answer to waste disposal has not been found, so the nuclear power plants bury the stuff

"Helen Caldicott, a medical doctor, is the world's leading spokesperson for the antinuclear movement. She is the co-founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility, a nominee for the Noble Peace Prize, and the winner of the 2003 Lannan Cultural Freedom Prize. She is also the founder and President of the Nuclear Policy Research Institute (NPRI) (http://www.nuclearpolicy.org), headquartered in Washington DC. She is the world's leading anti-nuclear voice. The book under discussion is the sixth one that she has authored.

"The first four chapters talk about the true costs of nuclear power, the health effects of radiation, and nuclear accidents. The burning issue of nuclear waste is explained next, followed by the author's insights on the latest nuclear reactors. Chapters 7 and 8 are devoted to a discussion of nuclear weapons proliferation. In the following chapter, the author concludes that renewable energy is the ultimate choice for humanity. The last chapter makes suggestions as to how we as individuals can contribute towards having a sustainable energy future. A detailed notes section follows. The index is rather brief.

The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986; the government coverup of the Chernobyl disaster was a catalyst for glasnost, which 'paved the way for reforms leading to the Soviet collapse'

"Dr. Caldicott has stressed in this book that nuclear power is not the way forward. The exorbitant costs, lack of a foreseeable solution to the nuclear waste problem, and the possibility of nuclear weapons proliferation make it a prohibitive choice. Renewable energy, on the other hand, is portrayed as the only viable option for a sustainable energy future" (Source: Review: Nuclear Power Is Not the Answer, Umar Karim Mirza, Escholarship)

Exorbitant costs, lack of a foreseeable solution to the nuclear waste problem, and the possibility of nuclear weapons proliferation all highlight nuclear energy as a poor and dangerous choice for electricity production

"Nuclear? No way! Only a loon would consider modern American history and the current challenges related to climate change, and decide that nuclear power is the solution. Proponents of nuclear power want to exchange one set of problems for another with little regard for generational well-being or the many excellent alternatives already available. A recent debate around the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant reveals the shallowness of arguments in favor of nuclear energy.

We need only look to the massive wildfires sweeping across the western states, increasing coastal erosion and the ongoing drought for evidence of the challenges to come from climate change

"These questions could not be more timely with the recent release of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that states it is “unequivocal” that human activities are behind climate change. As climate change accelerates and we head toward a world in which we most likely cross multiple tipping points, San Diego County will feel the effects of a changing planet and our energy security will be threatened. We need only look to the massive wildfires sweeping across the state, increasing coastal erosion and the ongoing drought for evidence of the challenges to come. San Diego County will be particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels as we approach the 2 degrees Celsius threshold increase in global temperatures that the IPCC says will accelerate the effects of global warming, including melting ice sheets at the poles and in Greenland." (Source: Opinion: Nuclear power is not the answer to San Diego County’s clean energy needs, Daniel J. Grafton, San Diego Union Tribune)

If you've labored under the illusion that nuclear energy created in nuclear power plants is a safe answer to U.S. energy needs, Nuclear Power Is Not the Answer will be more than happy to disabuse you of such notions. In order to understand Nuclear Power company lies and renewable energy realities, read this book and be forewarned. It is a good book and it offers needed facts to help you decide what to think about nuclear energy created in nuclear power plants. On the other hand, renewable energy methods such as solar or wind are not nearly as reliable as nuclear power plants for producing steady and reliable electrical energy. If it is neither windy nor sunny, wind turbines and solar panels are something in between eyesores and giant paperweights.

1945: Harry K. Daghlian’s blistered and burnt hand 9 days after he received his fatal radiation dose from an accident at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Daghlian would die from radiation poisoning 16 days after this photo was taken. This is what to expect if you live next to a nuclear power plant that has a meltdown.