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Nuclear power plants are 鈥渃ancer factories,鈥 and the Philippines is better off growing its renewable energy industry, according to Helen Mary Caldicott, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility and Women鈥檚 Action for Nuclear Disarmament.
In this B-Side episode, she talks to reporter Alyssa Nicole O. Tan about the health risks and financial costs of pursuing nuclear energy.
“As we put (radioactive waste) in the Earth鈥, the containers that hold radioactive elements will rust, break, and the radiation and elements will leak into the water supply,鈥 thereby affecting the food chain, Ms. Caldicott said.
鈥淚t only takes one beta particle, an electron, or gamma radiation to kill you,鈥 she added.
The 621-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was constructed by the Marcos, Sr. administration as a response to the 1973 oil crisis. Completed in 1984 at a cost of $1.9 billion, it was never loaded with fuel or operated due to financial issues and safety concerns.
For Ms. Caldicott, the Philippines should prioritize the use of renewable energy.
鈥淵ou are one of the hottest countries in the world, so why don鈥檛 you cover all your buildings with solar panels and make solar farms so that huge areas of the country are covered with solar panels,鈥 she said.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to increase the incidence of cancer in your country…,鈥 she added. 鈥淣uclear power plants are antithetical to the sanctity of life.鈥
Related article: /economy/2023/03/12/510118/health-impact-added-to-nuclear-plant-objections/
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