In making sure that nuclear power doesn't become part of the UK's energy policy, we tend to focus on the myth that it will solve climate change, the vast expense and the danger from radioactive waste. However, the other end of the supply chain is also fraught with problems and uranium mining can seriously damage your health. Just watch this video:
(This is just a trailer - more info on the full film at Tenner Films' MySpace blog.)
Not only are the by-products of nuclear power stations highly dangerous, extracting uranium ore to provide the fuel is also risky business. As one of the interviewees suggests, if someone wants uranium bad enough they'll find a way to mine it, whatever the human cost. As the price of uranium rises, the temptation is only going to get stronger.
And yet, heartening news reaches us from Australia, where a man has refused permission for a French company to mine for uranium on his ancestral land - the deposits are worth around $5 billion (thanks to Treehugger for the link). "I'm not interested in money. I've got a job; I can buy tucker; I can go fishing and hunting. That's all that matters to me," said Jeffrey Lee, last member of the Djok clan. He now wants to ensure his land is made part of nearby Kakadu National Park and protected permanently.
