ABOUT
Smart discussion of the latest science and news on toxins in your food, water, and air, and what government agencies should be doing to protect public health. Enviroblog is a project of EWG Action Fund. (More. . .)
FEED
An EWG podcast for environmental health news on the go.
TIPS
Did we miss something? Email Amanda.
BLOGROLL
STAY CONNECTED
Get our monthly eNewsletter, action alerts, & environmental tips. [Privacy policy, About EWG]
Aussie study finds phthalates in jar lids
Our poorly managed plastic system
FEATURED
BPA in your body: How to minimize your exposure
Caution: These 7 household items may feminize baby boys
BPA in infant formula: This is not a call to panic
7 ways to reduce your exposure to PBDEs
Ask EWG
Is there eco-friendly jewelry?
Are stainless steel water bottles safe?
Is mineral-based makeup safer?
SEARCH
« Ask EWG: What is "fragrance"? | Main | SMM: The Story of Stuff »
December 7, 2007
Must read: Avoiding World War III
In a post earlier this week, Sierra Club president Carl Pope discusses the "dangerous distraction" of nuclear power:
The President in his press conference today was questioned about the new intelligence report that suggests that, after all, the government of Iran has not been pursuing prohibited nuclear weapons technology for the past several years. In fact, as it claimed, it has simply been pursuing its right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to master the entire civilian nuclear fuel cycle -- including reprocessing. A byproduct of reprocessing, though, is plutonium, which is what you need for a nuclear weapon.
Pope goes on to point out the strong motivation any sovereign nation would have to master that nuclear fuel cycle, because if a nation cannot produce energy from the inside -- well then, they'd have to rely on other nations to produce it for them:
In the wake of today's intelligence report, for example, the Chicago Tribune urged in an editorial that we "continue to push international efforts to persuade Iran to give up its enrichment efforts and accept an agreement to be supplied fuel [by] Russia." Well, today's regime in Iran may have some trust for today's regime in Russia. But why, if the Iranians really are going to rely heavily on nuclear power, would they put themselves in a position that if Russia decided in the future to reassert its historic vision that Iran was part of its sphere of influence, they would have to cave in or shut off the power? Why would any sovereign nation with even illusions of independence accept such ground rules?
It's a great post -- go give it a read.