SeekerBlog

NEI Nuclear Notes has a new and relevant interview with Seekerblog reliable source Stewart Brand:

Stewart Brand has been the subject of multiple NNN blog posts over these last several weeks: his latest book, Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto, was reviewed and the kerfuffle between Amory Lovins and Brand has been discussed in multiple posts. Earlier this week, we had the opportunity to conduct an online Q&A with the author. The transcript is below.

(…)

What is the most commonly asked question at your book readings?
The main hot button question is always nuclear. Usually in the form of “But what about…??” And then they bring up something I haven’t discussed but is in the book, such as the widespread photographs of defective babies people are told were caused by Chernobyl.

(…)

What advice, if any, would you give to nuclear energy executives on how to improve public understanding of the industry?
Get active about climate. Join and help environmental organizations as a fellow Green. Have booths at Green trade shows and such (with young engineers, not booth babes). Hire and promote young Green nuclear engineers. Explore and expand the “distributed micropower” of small reactors. Open all nuclear reactors to the public. Encourage visitors to photograph each other standing (and probably mugging) by dry casks of spent fuel. Flaunt the Megatons to Megawatts program and its successors. Help people understand fuel banking for developing nations, and promote it. Support objective research on the “linear no-threshold” theory of low dose radiation effects.

(…)

As one of several “old-school” environmentalists who have been quite vocal in their support for nuclear energy, what do you say to old friends who still oppose nuclear?
Don’t assume you know what’s in my chapter on nuclear. Read it, then let’s talk.

Finally, your book has received praise from critics, but not from Amory Lovins. Any chance you two will sit down to a beer summit and hash it all out?
Unlikely.

Please continue reading…