The Turkish government will soon announce the winning bid to build a nuclear power plant in that country. And while Canada and the U-S are both hoping to be awarded the final contract, Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston thinks neither country should be in the running:
Transcript
The Turkish government will soon announce the winning bid to build a
nuclear power plant in that country. And while Canada and the U.S.
are both hoping to be awarded the final contract, Great Lakes Radio
Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston thinks neither country should
be in the running:
Turkey’s decision to build a nuclear power plant is a bad idea all a
round. It’s just plain risky on a number levels. First of all, the
Turkish government doesn’t exactly have a stable political record.
Civil war has plagued the country on and off for decades. As recently
as 1997, the military replaced a democratically elected government.
And if the political unrest wasn’t enough, there’s that nagging
little problem of geological instability. The devastating earthquake
that hit Turkey last summer was only the latest in a string of
earthquakes that have rocked the area. Let’s face it – that country
has more tremors that Ricky Martin’s butt.
So you have to wonder why the three leaders of the Turkish coalition
government are planning to go ahead anyway. Turkish citizens have
opposed the construction of a nuclear reactor right from the start.
In recent months, government deputies have joined in the protest,
calling for a full investigation into the government’s energy
policies.
Turkey’s neighbors certainly aren’t thrilled with the idea either.
Both Cypress and Greece have gone on record as opposing the plan. And
so they should. The selected site is a little place called Akkuyu –
right on the Mediterranean coast. It’s close enough to pose a threat
to Turkey’s neighbors in the event of a nuclear accident.
But within the next few weeks the Turkish government is expected to
announce who will actually gets to build the plant.
What I don’t understand is why both the Canadian and U.S. governments
are interested in the contract. Canada’s already been stung twice.
Canadian nuclear technology has contributed to India and Pakistan’s
nuclear weapons programs. And then there’s the U.S. bid. Surely the
American government can recognize a threat to global security when
they see one. Pakistan has already suggested to the Turkish
government that they work together on nuclear weapons. Is anybody
paying attention here?
Rather than putting the blame on the Turks, I think we need to look
at our own motivation. Nuclear power and nuclear weapons are dying
industries in North America. Using this opportunity to try and
resurrect them is blatantly irresponsible. What we should be doing instead is using
our political clout and technological innovation to
encourage countries like Turkey to invest in cleaner, renewable
technologies that we could also sell them. That way, everybody wins.
Suzanne Elston is a syndicated columnist living in Courtice, Ontario. She comes to us
by way of the Great Lakes Radio Consortium.