Oh boy! I can't wait! I can hardly sit still in anticipation of the tsunami of PR baloney we'll all be subjected to soon!
It won't be long until we get hit with a wave of messages, some obvious and some hidden, that nuclear power is perfectly safe, and it's what America really needs. From ending our dependence on foreign oil, to providing power when oil supplies dwindle, to increasing efficiency, to decreasing carbon dioxide emissions, and on and on, the reasons that we should ignore what's happening in Japan will be everywhere.
People who pay attention to these things have long pointed out that nuclear power is very costly if you actually do some honest accounting and include mining the nuclear material, transporting it, and the big one – transporting and storing the waste properly (new technology will eventually reduce this problem, at great cost, but not eliminate it). But now, we have a tragedy in Japan. Of course, we'll also soon hear that the Japanese were incompetent, sloppy, lazy, covering up weaknesses in their systems, etc. ad nauseum. And it won't matter that none of this is true.
The fact is that nuclear power is not, now or in the near future, really safe. It's not safe from natural disasters, and it's not safe from acts of war or terrorism. If you disagree, tell me one thing – would you want a nuclear reactor or nuclear waste site in your neighborhood?
Keep an eye on the news. The “experts” they interview will be employees of the nuclear industry, with the occasional sandal-wearing, shouting activist to keep up appearances of balance.
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