Facts don’t support nuclear fear

By Howard Peterson

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My frustration level with common-knowledge misinformation was pushed over the edge with a recent Gazette opinion column (Francis Thicke, March 16) discussing the need for additional nuclear power plants in Iowa. Repeated misinformation in the public's common knowledge seems to recur even with accurate data available to the media and others interested.

The article stated that following the Fukishima Daiichi plant meltdown, thousands of Japanese people have been exposed to health-threatening levels of radiation. The number reported so far by the conservative Japanese government is fewer than 10. All of these people were plant staff who knowingly exposed themselves. Look for yourself on the Internet.

The common-knowledge reports also are concerned about Japanese farming being stopped forever because of the radiation dose received on the lands. In fact, after six years or so, even the worst of these doses will be below that naturally received by Iowa lands each year. Many acres will be usable well ahead of that. And the area involved is limited.

You can find this information on the Internet.

And “everyone knows” that because of the Daiichi plant that all nuclear plants are terrible. In fact, only one of many Japanese plants sustained significant damages from the earthquake/tidal wave. Several other plants located within immediate range of the earthquake, using existing knowledge and existing technology, all survived well, as planned. You can look this up on the Internet.

So is there a need to expand existing knowledge in order to build additional safe plants?

One carefully researched Internet source is a former engineer and retired schoolteacher, Karen Street, who studies things like global warming, and can be found at this blog: http://pathsoflight.us/musing/index.php. She and others advocate nuclear power plants as important in continuing to supply energy needs with the most responsible environmental impacts.

Beware those who seek to influence your opinion using fear instead of facts. There are people who are afraid of the dark and will tell you that you should also be very concerned. Are you? Do the facts support their concern?

Properly applied, nuclear power plants have a place in our energy future in supporting and protecting the people who live on the planet. Find and look at the facts.

Howard Peterson is retired from Alliant Energy, after 38 years working with generation and transmission systems. Comments: petersonhr@msn.com