Review: Nuclear Power Is Not the Answer by Helen Caldicott

Abstract

Review: Nuclear Power Is Not the Answer By Helen Caldicott Reviewed by Umar Karim Mirza Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Pakistan. Helen Caldicott. Nuclear Power Is Not the Answer. New York, NY: The New Press, 2006. 240 pp. ISBN: 978-1-59558-067-2. Hardcover, US$23.95. Helen Caldicott, a medical doctor, is the world's leading spokesperson for the antinuclear movement. She is the co-founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility, a nominee for the Noble Peace Prize, and the winner of the 2003 Lannan Cultural Freedom Prize. She is also the founder and President of the Nuclear Policy Research Institute (NPRI) (http://www.nuclearpolicy.org), headquartered in Washington DC. She is the world's leading anti-nuclear voice. The book under discussion is the sixth one that she has authored. The first four chapters talk about the true costs of nuclear power, the health effects of radiation, and nuclear accidents. The burning issue of nuclear waste is explained next, followed by the author's insights on the latest nuclear reactors. Chapters 7 and 8 are devoted to a discussion of nuclear weapons proliferation. In the following chapter, the author concludes that renewable energy is the ultimate choice for humanity. The last chapter makes suggestions as to how we as individuals can contribute towards having a sustainable energy future. A detailed notes section follows. The index is rather brief.