In the early 1970s when I helped found Greenpeace, I believed that nuclear energy was synonymous with nuclear holocaust, as did most of my compatriots. That's the conviction that inspired Greenpeace's first voyage up the spectacular rocky northwest coast to protest the testing of U.S. hydrogen bombs in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. Thirty years on, my views have changed, and the rest of the environmental movement needs to update its views, too, because nuclear energy may just be the energy source that can save our planet from another possible disaster: catastrophic climate change.A couple of years ago, the Sacramento Bee ran a series of articles about the environment. The series recounted how the desperate need to save habitat for the spotted owl had forced the lumber industry of northern California out of business. It also revealed that at the time and unto this day, the spotted owl has never actually been seen in that area. So why was it that an industry had to die? Simple: A biologist who wrote the original report admitted -- years later -- that he just felt it was a gestalt that the reqion was the owl's habitat.
In other words, he lied through teeth because it just felt like owls would like that area.
Now we have this guy saying, "Oops!" That nuclear power wasn't as bad as he screamed. Nice.
I embrace his realization of his error. I lament that as a result of his earlier actions, the United States has shut down nuclear reactors and has no plans anywhere for building more.
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