“Every dollar spent on nuclear is one less dollars pent on clean renewable energy and one more dollar spent on making the world a comparatively dirtier and a more dangerous place, because nuclear power and nuclear weapons go hand in hand.” -Mark Z. Jacobson
The plight for non-carbon emitting source of energy has been going on for years for the sake of preventing the deterioration of the environment. It is under this premise that the solution in the form of nuclear energy was born and high hopes for it were made public. However, real people, real events and real stories tell us that the safety of this “safe” source of energy is but a myth.
Recently, the Philippines’ Department of Energy have aired their interest in reviving the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant using the energy crisis as an excuse during a public forum last July 25. They keep on telling the people that it is a way of saving the environment as if its radioactive wastes do not exist. In reality, options for renewable energy exist, it is just that it has less business potential for the private sector and it does not carry any hidden symbol.
The creation of nuclear power plants is not just an environmental issue; it is also an issue on the maintenance of peace. It is true that the United States is the only country that actually used nuclear energy as a weapon but the point is that it was still used as a weapon and a highly dangerous one at that. It is a symbol of potential military power that, when time comes, will not discriminate and can destroy the affected area for half an eternity.
One more option amidst being declared as the dirtiest source of energy has been promoted by the Philippine government –Coal. Not less than five coal-fired plants are to operate in the Philippines to solve electric supply shortages. Coal industry is one of the big emitter of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) that contributed to global warming and Philippine government knew this, but are still promoting amidst the impact of Climate Crisis to the Philippines.
Nuclear energy and all other non renewable (fossil fuels) energy sources are not something that we can gamble our future with. The AKMK being an alliance sworn to promote peace and environmental sustainability in Mindanao and the rest of the world stands firm to the call that a safe world is a nuclear free, sustainable and habitable world.
Reina Marie Gahum
Secretary General
Alliance of Mindanao Youth for Peace (Alyansa ng Kabataang Mindanao para sa Kapayapaan)
Mindanao, Philippines
Email: akmk_peace@yahoo.com
FB: Akmk Peace
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