Nuclear Threats

Why to Protest Nuclear Industry?

The big energy companies, their lobbyists and some politicians are promoting nuclear energy as solution against climate-change, some claim atomic power to be economically profitable, safe and a blessing for humanity.

The reality looks different: nuclear power is dangerous in many ways: it starts with uranium mining and its further treatment, goes on with the risks during the operation of the power plants – as proofed by Chernobyl, [[|Nuclear Disaster in Japan|Fukushima]] and Harrisburg (Three Mile Island) – and eventually there is this big problem left over: no safe solution for a final disposal of nuclear waste anywhere on earth.

Plutonium, a material used by military to build atomic bombs, is produced during the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, as well as highly enriched uranium is suitable for a-bombs, too. A country operating "civil" atomic plants also has the basic requirements for building nuclear bombs. Besides that, since about a decade the NATO military also uses uranium waste (depleted uranium – DU) to armor vehicles and to strengthen ammunition. A strict separation between maintenance of the atomic energy system and a possible nuclear weapons production is impossible.

Hundreds of thousands of people died in consequence of the catastrophes in Chernobyl (Soviet Union; these days: Ukraine) and Fukushima (Japan); millions of victims are expected to suffer the long-term impacts of the radiation released by these atomic facilities. Serious accidents took place in many other sites every few years, too: Windscale (1957 - United Kingdom), Mayak/Kyshtym (1959 - Soviet Union; these days: Russia), Tokaimura (1999 – Japan) are examples for nuclear accidents killing people directly. Other accidents like Brunsbüttel 2001 in Germany were close to a meltdown. The list of hundreds of nuclear accidents taking place in atomic facilities globally every year shows that this technology can not be controlled safely by humans for sure.

Since decades scientists warn the health impacts of radiation to be under-estimated enormously. The so-called "low" level radiation released by atomic facilities and within transports of radioactive material has the potential to damage cells and genes causing diseases, genetic damages and deaths. During the last ten years a number of studies has showed significant evidence for regular operated atomic power stations causing cancer. The "strongest" study is still the so-call "KiKK study" including the biggest data collection showing a seriously increased risks for children living close to German nuclear power plants to experience cancer.

Within the operation of uranium mines huge amounts of uranium ore are dug and stored on surface releasing radioactive materials like radon and spreading radioactivity to the surrounding water systems and environment in general. Uranium mining exposes the mostly indigenous workers to serious health risks. Thousands of cases have been officially registered already. Besides this dangerous release of radiation, the uranium mines produce huge amounts of "tailings" - radioactive and toxic waste waters stored forever in so-called tailing ponds mostly unprotected in nature.

The fuel used in atomic reactors includes a major share of the uranium-238 isotope with a half-life of some 4.5 billion years. It takes some 45 billion years before most of the isotope will be decayed. During the decay, other isotopes and elements are created with different amounts and types of radiations releasing as well with different half-life. As any amount of radiation is capable of causing health impacts, radiation exposure is to be reduced and avoided as much as possible. Thus, a safe final disposal of the radioactive waste is necessary for millions and billions of years. In the light of significant and unpredictable changes in society, knowledge of people and nature, such a safe disposal is impossible.