In the week in which Greenpeace has deplored the decision by the Finish government to grant a building permit for a new European Pressurised Water Reactor (EPR), Dr Patrick Moore, a founder member of the organisation has criticised those who lobby against “clean nuclear energy.”
Writing in the Vancouver Sun, Moore says zero-tolerance environmental activists have abandoned science for sensationalism. After 15 years as a founder and full-time environmental activist, Moore broke ranks with the group on issues of policy after Greenpeace made a sharp turn to the political left and began adopting extreme agendas that abandoned science and logic.
“The environmental movement has lost its way,” Moore says, “favouring political correctness over factual accuracy, stooping to scare tactics to garner support. Many campaigns now waged in the name of the environment would result in increased harm to both the environment and human welfare if they were to succeed.”
Referring specifically to nuclear power, Moore says, ”A significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions seems unlikely given our continued heavy reliance on fossil fuel consumption. Even UK environmentalist James Lovelock, who posited the Gaia theory that the Earth operates as a giant, self-regulating super-organism, now sees nuclear energy as key to our planet's future health. Yet environmental activists continue to lobby against clean nuclear energy. We can agree renewable energies, such as wind, geothermal and hydro are part of the solution. But nuclear energy is the only non-greenhouse gas-emitting power source that can effectively replace fossil fuels and satisfy global demand.”
