The pro-nuclear propaganda blizzard has arrived

Here’s how to answer it

Desperate times have descended on the failing nuclear power industry. Its operating reactors are unaffordable without the life support of federal or state subsidies. New reactors are now routinely referred to us “Power Point reactors” — still on paper and with little commercial interest. Even Bill Gates and Rolls Royce are going cap-in-hand to their respective US and UK governments to make their futile “advanced” or “small” reactors a reality.

In the meantime, renewable energy is taking off in the US and worldwide. And yet…..

….if you relied on the media you would believe that nuclear power is undergoing a renaissance (we won’t say ‘another’ because the first much ballyhooed one never happened). The nuclear industry, its lobbying arm and its cronies have gone into over-drive, harping on about how nuclear power is “carbon-free” (untrue) and the answer to the climate crisis (also untrue).

The rhetoric — since much of it is false, it’s really propaganda — does not stand up to scrutiny when challenged by empirical data. But we still need to challenge it. That is why we encourage all of you reading this to stop, sit down at your computer, and write your own OpEd or letter to the editor debunking this nonsense.

We’ve made it a lot easier by producing a series of Talking Points that address the main arguments against choosing or using nuclear power for climate mitigation. Feel free to cherry pick those bullet points that are most relevant to your audience to compose your articles and opinion columns.

We don’t have the billions of Bill Gates or the millions of Madison Avenue’s advertising companies that are helping roll out their media blitz. But we can all do our part.  If your submissions are published, do send us the link at [email protected]. We will be delighted to read them!