by Walt Robbins

Created on: April 26, 2010   Last Updated: April 27, 2010

The Unholy Connection Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Waste Reprocessing and Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear energy is not only NOT a sovereign right for all nations, it is the very seed for the ultimate destruction of the human race.

U.S. President Barack Obama's vision of a nuclear weapons free world is indeed laudable as is his treaty with Russia on weapons stockpile reduction and the communique issued at his April, 2010, 47-nation summit promising greater efforts to block "non-state actors" from obtaining nuclear materials for "malicious purposes."  

However, someone should tell him about the elephant in the room; that his encouragement and financial assistance for the development of more nuclear energy in his own country runs directly counter to his weapons-free world vision. (Some of the many negative aspects of nuclear energy have been outlined in my downsides article).

You cannot build nuclear weapons without first having nuclear energy, which produces the needed ingredients for atomic bombs. The world is already witnessing the frightening linkage between nuclear energy and nuclear armaments in North Korea and Iran. The linkage is clear as is the desire of additional countries to pursue nuclear energy development.  

Referring to North Korea and Iran, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper stated that "Both are countries whose actions contravene their international obligations. Both use violence and intimidation to deprive their own citizens of fundamental rights. Both are serious threats to global security. There is much at stake. If nuclear proliferation leads to the use of nuclear weapons, whether by states or non-state actors, then no matter where the bombs are set off, the catastrophe will be felt around the world." 

Absolutely! But, Mr. Harper should also be advocating the phase out of nuclear energy, without which nuclear weapons development would not be possible.

Further proliferation of nuclear energy can bring the world even closer to the risk of nuclear bomb making materials falling into the wrong hands.  Nuclear energy expansion is likely to increase the already dangerous potential for diversion of nuclear materials to unsavory terrorist groups around the world. The more nuclear facilities B the more opportunities for nuclear terrorism.

And then, there is the unsolved problem of the irradiated fuel waste, which can be diverted to nuclear weapons development. Producing more nuclear fuel waste without a truly acceptable solution for its disposition

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