Lim GE is wrong on nuclear plant

Most of you dear readers know I admire Karpal Singh and politically favour the DAP, principally because of its 'Middle Malaysia' stand and its CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) policies, and lack of corruption.

But no I’m neither a member of the party nor a devoted supporter, unlike my erstwhile Facebook matey, Antares, who is a wonderfully devoted acolyte of Anwar Ibrahim wakakaka.

I also admire Uncle Lim Kit Siang for his decades of unfaltering commitment to his political ideals. I was particularly pleased when he achieved what could be his almost-swansong in seeing the BN denied of that magic 2/3 majority – mind you, not that it prevented the EC recently from unconstitutionally transferring over 200 voters out of Hulu Selangor without Parliamentary consent, proving that the BN and its apparatus don’t give two f*s about the law.

His son Lim GE is OK I suppose, though I learnt he’s a bit of a tight-ass, meaning he’s real kiamsiap (ultra thrifty with money) which qualifies him to be a honorary Penangite wakakaka.

But I don’t always agree with them. For example, as reported in Malaysiakini’s Critics question need for nuclear power plan Lim GE and others (not forgetting sweetie Eli Wong) are against Malaysia’s plan to build a nuclear power plant to be operational by 2021.

They throw in all sorts of arguments on why it would be dangerous, using Chenobyl and its disastrous meltdown as an example.

Chenobyl was never a typical example of good management of nuclear plants especially in the western world. In fact it was a gross example of all that were bad, crude and blundering under the old Cold War incompetency of the USSR – hardly a fair example of how a modern nuclear plant would be managed safely.

If we have had nuclear plants earlier or even had had plans to build them, Bakun would never have been necessary or conceived with all its attendant adverse ecological consequences.

The oft-touted misinformation that nations are leaning away from nuclear plants is what it is, misinformation or sheer nonsense. The USA is stuck right into it in a new energy strategy to avoid overdependence on Middle East oil, and likewise with China and India and their growing energy needs. Even oil rich Saudi Arabia has plans to build a few. Fossil fuel, no matter how much, will run out eventually.

Most efficiently run would be the French network of nuclear power stations. Wikipedia said that since 2002, Électricité de France (EDF), which is the country's main electricity generation and distribution company, manages the country's 59 nuclear power plants - that's right, not one but 59 of them.

In 2008, it was recorded that these plants produce 90% of EDF's and about 78% France's electrical power production (of which some is even exported), making EDF the world leader in production of nuclear power by percentage. Just imagine, 80% of France's electrical needs are supplied by nuclear plants - they most certainly can give two fingers to Saudi Arabia.

The fact is nuclear power has become the primary source of electricity in France, the highest percentage of nuclear energy in the world.

Now, does anyone want to argue with France about the potential for Chenobyl-like disasters in that country?

But the French aren't wanting for the winching Wendy's. They have already launched a new generation nuclear reactor, the EPR (European Pressurized Reactor).

Unfortunately there is an unfounded fear of nuclear power. As I mentioned in my post last year Damn those dams “Fire, as we know, is a good servant but a bad master. It’s an old English saying which means that fire is very useful when it is under one's control, but very dangerous when it is not. Likewise with nuclear power!"

So I reiterate, I disagree with Lim GE's position on Malaysia acquiring a nuclear power plant, because if we fail to plan for one now, we'll be left so far behind we'll never ever catch up with our energy needs.