Electricity and nuclear

Electricity and nuclear

From Jayakarta

That the European community has downright rejected the nuclear project reflects the political impact of the Chernobyl disaster on the European region. With this new awareness, the European community is totally opposed to the policy which concerns development of nuclear power stations in their respective countries through referendum.

Those who are in favor of the development of nuclear energy in Indonesia have kept this information from the public. In his book Nuklir dari Bom ke Listrik (Nuclear Energy from Bomb to Electricity), Suyitno, head of Bureau of the Socialization of National Association of Nuclear Energy Society, states among other things that there was a substantial increase of electrical power between 1979 and 1986, which is true. But this increase occurred only in eight countries like France, Germany, and Hungary, to name but three. How do other European countries, such as Austria, Greece, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Great Britain react to the nuclear energy problem?

Suyitno also speaks of an increase in nuclear energy in the United States, France and Germany. However, World Watch also provides information concerning the society's increasing rejection of additional nuclear power stations in those three countries.

It is clear that the society has a strong say in determining whether or not a nuclear power station is needed, not the government or nuclear scientists. It is the people who will be at risk with the consequence of nuclear project once it is ready for operation.

ANDREAS ISWINARTO

Jakarta