I’ve been away from TV most of the time since this began, and I’m currently visiting my apartment, watching CNN. One thing that I keep hearing is the idea of ‘background levels’ and ‘normal exposure’. When they start comparing this to cell phones and chest X-rays, you know that the script originated in a PR firm that handles nuclear power. When Christine Todd Whitman says that working in a nuke is as safe as working in a grocery store, you can be certain she got paid. (My friend Dominick asked me, “Well, is it?” and he is not dumb. People believe this garbage.)<\/p>\n
The background level issue is used all over the environmental topic. If there is a dioxin release in your community you will be told, first thing, that it’s ‘no worse than the background level’ which means: you may be getting two background levels, one from the release and one from the (not so natural) existing level.<\/p>\n
Next, we have some apologists getting on TV saying that in the midst of a catastrophe is not the time to be making decisions about future energy policy. I know that may seem to them like resolving to never drink again when you’re drunk — or perhaps more like drying up by drinking everything in the house. In reality this is the very time to make policy decisions, because this is what those decisions need to be based on.<\/p>\n
Tracy just reminded me of this one. She writes, “Re propaganda — they’ve clearly sent a memo round — I’ve seen two ‘experts’ on Sky News, one British one from U.S., singing exactly the same song almost word for word — ‘there is no safe form of energy generation’ \/ look at the Gulf of Mexico \/ list disadvantages of all other methods \/ finish on ‘there’s no other way to meet power demand without carbon emissions’ (we’re nuclear because we care).” Yeppp. Listen for the talking points. They actually do send memos. If you happen to have got one of those memos, please feel free to send it and your secret’s safe with me — I’m an astrologer.<\/p>\n
I am noticing that nobody is mentioning General Electric. No great surprise, that, but consider what a big part of the story it is. Finally, it seems that only Rachel Maddow had a guest on who said that taking iodine does not really help. I mean who knows, it might — but the key is to not get exposed, and to not eat contaminated food. One problem with reassurances of safety is that they are based on current (revealed) levels — not on what might happen. The problem is that all we can really do is prevent future ‘accidents’ — and that is actually possible.<\/p>\n
At this point we don’t know how far this will go. If it all stopped right now, that would be bad enough. But as I said to my journalism collaborator at the deli, we are now at 9 on a scale of 10 that really goes up to 20. <\/p>\n
If you have more examples of nuclear bullshit, please type them into the comment area.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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