Antinuclear

Nuclear spinner Ziggy’s gone quiet, but the Brook keeps babbling on

A curious silence lately, from Australia’s top nuclear salesmen  – Ziggy Spinowski, and Michael Angwin.   One can only assume that Ziggy, always one to be on the side of the winners, is quietly moving away from nuclear lobbying.  Michael Angwin, CEO of the Australian Uranium Association, is now lying low, in view of the disastrous state of Australia’s uranium industry.

So – it is left to Barry Brook now – Australia’s lone pro nuke spruiker to carry that pernicious torch . He’s not awfully good at it – but the nuclear lobby must rejoice that Brook keeps at it, anyway.

Congratulations to Ludwig Heinrich, for nailing Brook’s arguments so convincingly.
And also – to Independent Australia for providing that Brook video, reminding us of the repetitive and rambling Brook. I am indeed reminded of the poem “The Brook” – “I chatter, chatter as I go to join the brimming river, for men may come and men may go, but I go on forever”.
And Brook sure does go on forever – telling us:
– that the tsunami caused the Fukushima disaster, (when it now has been shown that it was set off by the earthquake, before the tsunami arrived.)
– that the Fukushima accident “hasn’t significantly damaged any person” (mmm throat lesions, leukaemia – not significant?)
– that “in the past renewables have not been able to replace fossil fuels”. (What about the present, and the future?)
– that we “need to overcome fear of radiation”   (!!!!)
– that he’s morbidly fascinated that people have ignored other disasters – petro chemical industries. (but then, as Brook thinks that increased ionising radiation is fine, then, to him, a nuclear accident is at the same level as any other accident.)

Above all, Brook says that “we already have really safe nuclear power plants”
That statement really shows up Brook’s ignorance of risk  analyis. In calculating risk , you weigh up the probability of the risk against the seriousness of the consequences if an accident happens.
That’s exactly what insurance companies all over the world have done, in relation to nuclear power. They’ve found it an unacceptable risk because – although the probability of accident is small, the consequences of a nuclear accident are huge.
Barry Brook just doesn’t get it.  – C.M 

September 5, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, Christina reviews, spinbuster