Greenpeace should now go pro-nuke
Radioactive waste ‘no longer a problem’
Greenpeace was right to stop the bomb and save the whales, but should never have opposed nuclear energy, the environmental group’s co-founder and former director, Patrick Moore, said in Sandton yesterday.
Moore is on a lecture tour of local universities, sponsored by the Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa.
“Climate change has made me a strong supporter of nuclear power,” Moore said.
Here is another account by Engineering News Online of South Africa: Greenpeace co-founder Moore backs nuclear power.
A blog sponsored by South Africa's Mail & Guardian had a less sanguine viewpoint about building more nuclear power plants.
Despite the wide range of opinions, nuclear energy is making a comeback in countries outside the United States. South Africa has joined a long list of countries now considering building new nuclear power plants.
Several blogs continue to argue that Moore is not credible because he is paid by the nuclear industry. However, Moore's viewpoints on nuclear energy preceded his association with the industry. He believes expansion of nuclear power is the best way to combat climate change--he would say this regardless of who signs his paychecks. I would imagine that Greenpeace employees believed in the organization's mission before receiving their own paychecks.
The problem for organizations that continue to oppose nuclear energy is that it is one of the best options for meeting our growing electricity needs without producing significant additional greenhouse gases. Thus the existence of people like Patrick Moore who are both bona fide environmentalists and support nuclear, is a constant reminder of a different perspective.
Finally, if you are looking for more background, you can check another great profile by Politico on Why a Greenpeace co-founder went nuclear.
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