Crisis Without End

August 18, 2014
Caldicott, cofounder of Physicians for Social Responsibility and renowned antinuclear advocate, has not softened her position on nuclear energy dangers, so readers of these essays by scientists and officials should expect grim news. The collection is scattered at times, but no less unsettling for it: several authors ignore Fukushima and discuss Chernobyl or the general dangers of radiation. Caldicott herself notes that only two sources have released more radioactivity into the atmosphere than Fukushima: two decades of nuclear-bomb tests in the 1950s and ’60s, and the Chernobyl meltdown. However, unlike Chernobyl, Fukushima’s reactors were state-of-the-art, well maintained, and employed the latest safety technology. A short, gripping account addresses the disaster—which will cause harm for centuries—and Japanese officials report on the disgraceful response of their government. Several researchers discuss effects of radiation on food, wildlife, cancer incidence, and the nuclear power industry itself. Many want nuclear power abolished, emphasizing that it remains wildly expensive and prone to mishaps. The book’s tone is relentlessly apocalyptic and the essays point to renewable energy (expensive and not environmentally benign) as the solution for the future; readers may want to consult James Mahaffey’s Atomic Accidents as a primer. Graphs, charts, & illus.