Environmentalists influence on nuclear power: How?

[Soontir C'boath]

Of the two most infamous examples, we know Chernobyl was a piece of junk and Three Mile Island had shut down safely contrary to what the media reported. So how was it that the environmentalists were able to blatantly lie about the danger of nuclear power and allowed to influence the American population so thoroughly that the building of nuclear power plants stalled? Why weren't the scientists and especially political figures denouncing these people?

Perhaps this next question doesn't belong here but, why in our current energy crisis are politicians (except McCain surprisingly enough) still afraid to openly vouch for it?

[Isolder74]

one word


HIROSHIMA.


Notice the protesters always wave around signs with mushroom clouds on them.

[Stormbringer]

Of the two most infamous examples, we know Chernobyl was a piece of junk and Three Mile Island had shut down safely contrary to what the media reported. So how was it that the environmentalists were able to blatantly lie about the danger of nuclear power and allowed to influence the American population so thoroughly that the building of nuclear power plants stalled? Why weren't the scientists and especially political figures denouncing these people?

A lot of scientist and engineers did and still do vouch for nuclear safety. The problem was they were smeared, utterly unfairly, as liars and quacks. They were neutralized basically by having the lies directed at them. The environmentalists accussed them and the public was too dumb to trust the scientists about science.

As for politicians, a few stood up for it for a while but it was too much of a hot button for most to stick it out. When you have that many brain dead NIMBYs running around, politicians aren't likely to stand up to the truth. Witness the present artificial crisis about nuclear waste and how fucked up that is. And how potentially easy the solution is.

Perhaps this next question doesn't belong here but, why in our current energy crisis are politicians (except McCain surprisingly enough) still afraid to openly vouch for it?

Some are. But people want nukes, just nowhere near them. And that still makes them very nearly a kiss of death.

On top of that, they're a long term solution to the problem and politics in America has an attention span that makes a five year old with ADD look positively studious. Politicians won't buck a long term fix when it'll be a many election cycles before the solution kicks in.

[Bluewolf]

As well as that, enviromentalists have been very vocal about this. Any mention of something being nuclear powered and you will get at least some protesters parading around with banners. You rarley see or hear anyone try and do an Obama style "fight the smears" campain on nuclear power. Probably due to the sheer amount of dumb protesters there already are and it would make it a bloody politcal move as mentioned.