Helen Caldicott, the Australia-born American physician and anti-nuclear activist of the late 1970s and early 1980s, was a practitioner of paediatrics at the Children's Hospital Medical Center in Boston, U.S. A leading critic of nuclear technology and armament industries, she tried to conscientise the world through her almost solitary protest writings and TV and radio appearances against the dangers of nuclear technology for the environment.
In the light of Fukushima (2011), Chernobyl (1986) and Three Mile Island (1979) nuclear accidents (all of which happened after 1978) and the great concern they generated in the world during the last four decades, Caldicott's 1978 book Nuclear Madness assumes prophetic significance. We cannot ignore the several pieces of vital information missing from the reports of these accidents. Our treasure house of knowledge of nuclear technology is the poorer for these omissions. But what is more puzzling is the deliberate or accidental camouflaging of scientific truths from people's vision by well-informed people of national and international significance who ought to, and do know better.
Caldicott did not have any personal stake in taking a strong stand against nuclear technology. Such disinterested personalities are few in the 21st century, and hence this brief note to a brave doctor who took a stand in favour of universal safety. Her book is dedicated to “her children and all the children of the world.”
“As a physician, I contend that nuclear technology threatens life on our planet with extinction. All of us will be affected by radioactive contamination, unless we bring about a drastic reversal of our government's pro-nuclear policy,” she observed in the late 1970s.
Does her warning and appeal have some relevance to the Kudankulam? Do we need more damaging accidents than Fukushima to formulate our policy? For energy-starved countries, particularly those in the tropical regions such as ours, is not solar safer than nuclear energy?
Incidence of cancer
Caldicott drew the world's attention to the increased incidence of leukaemia and other forms of cancers and radiation hazards ever since the introduction of nuclear technology. The world bodies are still lackadaisical in their attitude to the dangers of nuclear technology — for the sake of the promotion of the laissez fair stance and profits of big energy companies. Despite the proven hazards of nuclear technology, many powerful nations went on, and still are going on, spreading the technology for generating electric power, but mainly for acquiring the military power to attack other countries or defend themselves from imaginary “first users” of nuclear arms.
If the world can phase out nuclear arms as suggested by Bertrand Russell and other great scientists of the world, where is the danger of “First Strike”? If the world can develop solar energy in tropical countries and find a way to distribute that energy to high energy consuming Western countries, where is the danger of “First Strike”?
After Fukushima, some European nations have started a re-think on nuclear technology. The Germans have decided to phase out nuclear reactors for energy by 2020 or so — that is within the next 10 years.
From her own anti-nuclear testing experiences spearheaded in Australia and the U.S., Caldicott learned the following valuable lessons that could prove useful to the protesters elsewhere in the world, Kudankulam included:
(a) “We can no loner afford to entrust our lives, and the lives and health of future generations, to politicians, bureaucrats, ‘experts' or scientific specialists, because all too often their objectivity is compromised.
(b) “Most government officials are shockingly uninformed about the medical implications of nuclear power — and yet they daily make life-and-death decisions in regard to these issues.”
(c) Some in the medical profession are too indifferent about larger questions and they are reluctant to look beyond their immediate research and treatment responsibilities.
(d) Many doctors remain silent about the medical hazards of nuclear technology despite their firm knowledge that nuclear radiation is a certain cause of cancer and genetic diseases.
(e) One may add to the above reasons that no scientist or researcher, industrialist or inventor has so far found a fool-proof method for the safe disposal of the large amount of radio-active waste generated by nuclear power plants all over the world.
It is well-known from Caldicott's time onwards that each 1,000-megawatt nuclear reactor contains as much radio-active material as would be produced by one thousand Hiroshima-sized bombs. A meltdown in which fissioning and explosions, melting of overheated nuclear metallic cases, cores, etc., will lead to untold deaths in the plants concerned and their vicinity. Radioactivity will be spewed for thousands of miles, which will affect life in various neighbouring countries.
Radioactive wastes remain dangerous for more than 500,000 years! As mentioned before, no safe method of disposal or storage of nuclear waste has yet been found anywhere in the world!
Untold damage
Why can't our decision-makers and atomic safety regulators pay some attention to Caldicott's statement that each commercial nuclear reactor produces nearly 200 to 250 kg of plutonium every year, which is dangerous for at least half a million years? Plutonium is one of the deadliest elements in the world. Although naturally occurring plutonium is in very small quantities and does not pose a threat to human life, commercial production of the element can cause untold damage to our working and living environments.
Can we ever forget the initial euphoria the scientists, engineers and nuclear power advocates including industrialists created in the 1960s? Nuclear electric power was then touted by promoters as “too cheap to meter.” Thus the big power companies came into being. Governments of powerful nations such as the U.S., Germany, Japan, Russia (the Soviet Union), China and India approved nuclear technology as heaven-sent technology. But even today, 20 per cent of the world's energy needs is not met by the nuclear technology. And Germany and some other countries are re-thinking about it.
The American doctor concluded her first chapter, “Our Own Worst Enemy,” with this bold statement:
“As a doctor, as well as a mother and world citizen, I wish to practise the ultimate form of preventive medicine by ridding the earth of this technology which propagates suffering, disease and death.”
Considering the proliferation of the nuclear technology today and its easy availability to terrorists, the world has to re-think about the continued use of it. Will our decision-makers, doctors, the media and ordinary citizens listen, and read again Nuclear Madness in the context of Kudankulam?
(The writer's email ID is vilanilam.jv@gmail.com)
Keywords: Helen Caldicott, Nuclear Madness, nuclear technology, nuclear energy, nuclear safety, environmental issues, cancer
The Hindu has published an excellent article expressing grave misgivings about the health effects of nuclear power which is in the process of progressively eliminating life from the earth. Why did the proponents of nukes allow the catastrophes of Windscale,the waste storage site at Urals,the Narora Nuclear Plant, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, Fukushima, Kalpakkam and those during normal operation of nukes the world over(Cancer death load every year of 200 Bhopals)? Each Bhopal is unit of 2259 murders. All the nuclear power plants are perfect mass murderers. And the uranium mining sites, and that for 250000 years. The Kudankulam plant as every other has the potential even during normal operations to wipe out life as we know it and damage future generations. These are facts not a crackpot's mutter! None of the nukes can ever be tested for excursions, runaways,loss of coolant. See Karl Grossman's Cover Up to know the crimes being committed against all life for all time. Nukes, no thanks!
Why is The Hindu resorting to scare-mongering instead of promoting scientific discourse ?
Helen Caldicott is a crackpot. She has absolutely no scientific credibility. She stays as far away from scientific consensus as www.globalwarminghoax.com stays with respect to the consensus on climate change.
There are a lot of radiologists, nuclear physicists and physicians using nuclear medicine (yes, gamma radiation is used quite commonly in hospitals) who can give express advice on these topics.
Kudos to john vergis vilanilam on the write up 'Is Helen Caldicott's nuclear madness still relevant?'I wish the message is translated into Tamil for creating awareness about the dangers of nuclear energy and with the writers permission be published in Tamil dailies too.
Viraj seems to think that medical use of radiation somehow makes
nuclear radiation OK. In fact medical radiation is known factor in
increasing one's cancer risk. Therefore, it should be used wisely, -
only when the benefit outweighs the increased cancer risk.
In fact, every small increase in ionising radiation received adds to
one's cancer risk. It is absurd to compare the impact of one X-ray
to the continued effect of nuclear radiation received over a long
period.
Now - about Helen Caldicott. She's had a lot of attack for being
"emotional". Critics pounced on the title of her book "Nuclear
Madness" Dr Caldicott chose this title as a comment on the then
existing MAD scheme of nuclear weapons in the Cold War between USA and
the Soviet Union. The scheme was for nuclear "Mutually Assured
Destruction" - (MAD).
Critics can't stand the situation that Caldicott has encyclopaedic
knowledge of the issues around nuclear, - but also has the nwerve to
be satirical - and ohmygawd emotional
Thoughts expressed about nuclear danger from Nuclear Power stations with reference to Helen Caldicott's book, Nuclear Madness are quite revealing even to a layman! In this respect steps being taken by Germany to stop Nuclear Power Stations there by 2020 is an eye opener to all countries in the world! From this article it is very clear that it is better to utilize Solar power for power generation rather than trying by the dangerous route of Nuclear power for electric power generation!
This is a very interesting Article and is timely in the face of the controversy going
on regarding the Koodangulam Power Plant between pro and antinuclear activists.
After going through the Article I am beginning to wonder where are we heading for
and whether we are lacking in our sense of perception on a vital issue like
nuclear power. No doubt we will be benefited by a few megawatts of electricity
which however will be offset by the enormous loss of human lives property etc in
the event of a nuclear explosion caused by natural causes like earthquake or
tsunami or a human failure which is not unlikely. When we have the solar energy
available all through the year, besides wind power why should we not tap that
source which is safe free of health hazard. A friend of mine uses solar energy by
installing solar panels in his house and meet the daily needs like lighting cooking,
hot water etc and offer the surplus energy to the general grid, an ideal example
for others to follow
Come to Chennai and see how we live next to drainage with mosquitoes
coming in waves and attacking us. The drinking water is the worst with
typhoid, jaundice, and diarrhea causing germs. The less we talk about
the transportation it is better. The miseries created by the above is
not noticed by you -experts talking about nuclear hazards. First come
and solve these simple problems and then you can waste your time and
energy on nuclear power.
The writer takes exception to Doctors' stand, who are alleged to have remained silent about the so-called dangers of Nuclear field. Looks like, the author is more "learned" than doctors. Anyway, I have a very simple suggestion to the "learned" author, next time whenever you go to any doctor for taking a X - ray for your self or your wards, please ask, how much radiation is absorbed during one chest X - ray. You might find shocked to know that, It's much more than (abour 20 times) radiation dose you would ever get near any nuclear power plant and this is amply demonstrated near Kapakkam and rightly exponented by Dr. Shanta, the renowned personality in the field.
The write up "Nuclear Madness" shows us how mad people could go in their pursuit against Kudankulam & India going Nuclear. Well, there's hardly anything new, other than latching on some of the homilies perpetrated by global anti-nuclear lobby. But, let's face the facts to expose this brazen "madness" :
1. We are all bothered about absymally low quantum of nuclear waste which in reality, is not a waste, but a fuel for next stage of nuclear power plants. In essense, there's practically little or no waste at all. At the same, we are all least concerned about the humongous quantum of waste ash produced by coal fired plants, which is equallly, if not more, radioactive.
2. Nuclear India does not spread cancer,rather cures cancer.THE TOP 4 COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD WITH HIGHEST CANCER CASES ARE DENMARK, IRELAND, AUSTRALIA & NEWZEALAND WHICH HAVE NO NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS!
3. Above all,we all live with natural background radiation, which's more than the radiation emitted by any nuclear plant!
The saying in tamil goes "Nadandhal Irandadi, Paduthaal Aaradi". We, as a global society have moved away from their eternal truth and in our quest for so-called comfortable life,have used up all the natural resources. We are trying to harness a monster called nuclear energy that cannot be fully controlled. Our history tells us that we should detach ourselves from nuclear energy. Our wants dictate otherwise.
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