THE REACTION was lethal object.
BOWERwhile where the control of energy supply and hence our way of companies to the people at a community level.
Here we can see the genuinely IT HEROISE KETC the ecologists thought. It is the nology (ie into less productive They will enable private ownership to be control' to be instituted, How exactly large-scale private capital will be persuaded to be "descaled" (ic dissolved)remains the central, unexplained myNone of this critique ignores the fact that the whole question of ecology and conservation n Marxism has rarely addressed itself. Hence the predominance of artisanal, arguments. Also it is fair to say that 'alternative cnergy strategies' would certainly be researched and descloped under socialism — very well have important uses in the context of a totally planned. socialised economy But we cannot be satisfied with the romantic, backwardidentify the development for in- suppression) of large-scale modern technology. And principal moter change. Forrevolutionaries, the question of how to rackle the question of maclear power under capitalism, i a political question, not suoply a technoCarl Gardner (N. Inndon)
alternately hysteria when Cosmos 954, the Soviet intelligence satellite, made its unscheduled landing in Canada. Cartoonists had great fun with dogs, litle children, Eskimos and others unwittingly bringing home this And, despite 'unprecedented" co-operation between the United States and the Soviet Union to defuse their danger, there is no doubt that the incident lends itself to a new bout of propaganda against Soviet military We regard Soviet use of nuclear power in a very different way from the imperialist nuclear "deterrent. Soviet nuclear weapons were developed as a response to a very real nuclear threat from the West in the of techhumour and 1940s.
populated area. that it is threat that still As this latest incident shows, bureaucracy is certainly irresponsible its use of nuclear power, both military and civil, but in defending its own Interests it cannot help but defend the workers states against imperialism.
Nevertheless, it is chilling to know that there are some 900 active satellites orbiting the earth, many of them with nuclear reactors, any one of which could repeat the failure of Cosmos 954 in a densely On this page we print three contributions to the debate on nuclear power, prompted by an article in our Christmas issue by Rob Edwards of the Scottish Campaign to Resist the Atomic Menace.
without adequale reprocessing taclities. However it in not lechnically teasible. The overall quantities CHESSA TO NUE HARACEDES is very small. The problem is more highly conconsidered ring radioactive material and therefore constitutes a signifi- coal, oil and also potentially the coolagy in the long term. The of continuing produc dioxide it, and why. dioxide by coal-fired stations have received very little attention recently such the It is also worth noting that more recioectivity is mleased troi coal-Fired power slations than Arthur Scargill in his oppo sition to nuclear power is not at late mental 198ue8. is Democity against clear he knows very little about Is primarily concerned with mame ring te Industrial power of the mines by advocating an electricity which to control Any high technology indusMOTECTOda changes necessarily brings about in our control But WE power ecologically in the control country with solar panels, heal windmill generators hame grown • organic stockpile?
There is a cost/benefit commust be made remains. the Kremlin — literally — in before rejocting a technology which has the nuclear power. As well as extent and nature of the risks Involved, benefits like Treedom from air pollution and rollable electricity supplies should be Perhaps the most important question to ask about nuclear power is why it has become such a sansitive issue. 11 is nol solely because of the environ mental hazards involved The INSUN IS SO COOLE CRE GOITICS of technology — who controll The decision 1c have been made by the wrong people for the wrong reasons, A Decision to Scrap It SHoUld not be made on that basis, but the basis or an informed debale among those who will have to put up with the risks:
not lust technological experts At present it seems that the only people willing to stimuороп dISCUSSIOn after nutes power.
this *public Opinion is prodictabe What is the nuclear Industry hiding? The answer to this may not be unacceptable risks, but to ply the sent don the decisionSuch nights developed technology is very Do sentul 100i Tor those who nuclear present the ENCOSTS accompansing and Infinitely more treatening now cordue Charlie Youne (Somerset