Not In My Back Yard
Feb. 5th, 2013 12:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_siobhanSo it happens that there is a GE plant in my neighbourhood. It's been there for about 50 years, built back when the area was largely poor and immigrant. It's sole function is to processes uranium pellets for the nuclear power plant east of the city.
The last 10 years has seen a massive degree of gentrification - house prices have gone up almost 400% since we moved into our place. And one of the people who moved into the area is an anti-nuclear activist.
So you know what happens next, right? He bangs on a bunch of doors and says, "Do you know that there is a nuclear fuel processing plant right on your very doorstep! In a residential neighbourhood! Endangering your children!" And the yuppies all gasp in horror and demand that this Very Dangerous Plant be shut down.
It's worth noting at this point that the company responded to the local concerns by publicizing their safety procedures, which are pretty comprehensive. The uranium isn't enriched so it's not particularly radioactive, and they do continuous monitoring of soil, water, smokestacks and air. I'd want to know more about the safety procedures for the staff and during transportation, but the building isn't going to be responsible for any three-headed babies any time soon. Meanwhile the anti-nuke activist continues to talk about how even one grain of dust will cause the zombie apocalypse or something[1].
But the shouty people will probably get what they want. And the plant will move its operations into somebody else's neighbourhood. Probably one that is poor and immigrant. And the people who made all the fuss will be convinced that they have done a very good thing while they continue using the exact same amount of electricity and gas as they did before this all hit their radar.
The whole thing leaves a sour taste in my mouth. On the plus side it got me off my ass to go follow up on the solar panels we want to put on our roof.
[1] Lest anyone misunderstand I'm not particularly pro-nuke. I am, however, pro arguing-based-on-actual-facts-not-scaremongering. I am also very much of the opinion that if you are happy to enjoy the benefits of cheap electricty, you kind of have to suck up the reality of how it's made.
The last 10 years has seen a massive degree of gentrification - house prices have gone up almost 400% since we moved into our place. And one of the people who moved into the area is an anti-nuclear activist.
So you know what happens next, right? He bangs on a bunch of doors and says, "Do you know that there is a nuclear fuel processing plant right on your very doorstep! In a residential neighbourhood! Endangering your children!" And the yuppies all gasp in horror and demand that this Very Dangerous Plant be shut down.
It's worth noting at this point that the company responded to the local concerns by publicizing their safety procedures, which are pretty comprehensive. The uranium isn't enriched so it's not particularly radioactive, and they do continuous monitoring of soil, water, smokestacks and air. I'd want to know more about the safety procedures for the staff and during transportation, but the building isn't going to be responsible for any three-headed babies any time soon. Meanwhile the anti-nuke activist continues to talk about how even one grain of dust will cause the zombie apocalypse or something[1].
But the shouty people will probably get what they want. And the plant will move its operations into somebody else's neighbourhood. Probably one that is poor and immigrant. And the people who made all the fuss will be convinced that they have done a very good thing while they continue using the exact same amount of electricity and gas as they did before this all hit their radar.
The whole thing leaves a sour taste in my mouth. On the plus side it got me off my ass to go follow up on the solar panels we want to put on our roof.
[1] Lest anyone misunderstand I'm not particularly pro-nuke. I am, however, pro arguing-based-on-actual-facts-not-scaremongering. I am also very much of the opinion that if you are happy to enjoy the benefits of cheap electricty, you kind of have to suck up the reality of how it's made.