The role of fear in the nuclear debate

So, both the World Health Organisation and the UNSCEAR press release, though conservative, are far from confident about the harmlessness of the Fukushima radiation. Indeed, the UNSCEAR release is headed “not an official document”. We will have to wait until October for the official one.

We should also bear in mind the relationship between both the World Health Organisation and UNSCEAR to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The World Health Organisation is bound by an agreement with the IAEA. A clause of this agreement says the WHO effectively grants the right of prior approval over any research it might undertake or report on to the IAEA.

UNSCEAR is also subservient to the IAEA. Every UNSCEAR report must be specifically approved by the IAEA. UNSCEAR’s membership is largely from the nuclear industry. Its chairman, Wolfgang Weiss, is a boss on Euratom, which, according to Wikipedia is

“… an international organisation founded in 1958 with the purpose of creating a specialist market for nuclear power in Europe, developing nuclear energy and distributing it to its member states while selling the surplus to non-member states.”

The IAEA itself has as its founding brief:

“The agency shall seek to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity through the world.”

A careful study of both publications shows that while they take a very conservative attitude to the health risks from Fukushima radiation – in keeping with their obligations to the IAEA – they certainly do not conclude that there is nothing to worry about.

In partial defence of these reports, however, I have to agree that fear and stress are indeed real effects of the Fukushima nuclear meltdowns — especially among the communities in the area. It is true that most residents will not get cancer from that radiation. It is also true that, as with the atomic bomb survivors, the Fukushima residents face uncertainty and discrimination. The mental health effects are considerable and it’s very important for these people to get all possible help – including correct information – rather than panic-stricken warnings.

However, their fear is real, and they do have some cause to fear. Their fear is not unreasonable. On an individual basis, the cancer and other health risks from low-level radiation are small. On a collective – population – basis, the risks are significant.

The nuclear lobby is also right that the public fear of ionising radiation is indeed a handicap to public acceptance of the nuclear industry.

News continues to come out about the over-exposure of patients to medical radiation. Medical radiation is valuable, but sometimes it is not necessary and increases risk of cancer. We also learn, from NASA, that astronauts will be exposed radiation — to the extent that travel to Mars is impossible at present.

The latest pitch of the nuclear lobby is that Fukushima radiation is okay; that their industry will go ahead as the public loses its fear of radiation. And the nuclear lobby is now on a campaign to convince the public to abandon that fear. It sounds plausible, but even WHO and UNSCEAR, under the thumb of the IAEA, have their doubts. There are many other reputable scientific agencies that agree with Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of the WHO, that there is no safe level of ionising radiation.