Re: Nuclear spills/waste land -Reply

Roberto Verzola (rverzola@phil.gn.apc.org)
05 Oct 99 13:30:16

>A difference between the two is that the nuclear program didn't have
>many popular public detractors in it's early stages, but the GMO issue
>does. Also, government (acting as referee) has a chance to act on
>public opinion against the proliferation of GMOs in a way it couldn't act
>during the (military) buildup of nuclear plants. Not that anybody wants to
>depend on gov't to save the day...

I'd like to add another difference: nuclear pollutants have very long
half-lifes (up to many thousands of years for their radioactivity to
be reduced by half).

Genetic pollutants in the form of mutant bacteria, plants or animals
reproduce and multiply, so they don't have half-lives but doubling
times. (A bacteria's is around 20 minutes under favorable conditions).
Once a runaway genetically-engineered mutant is released into the
environment, recalling it will be next to impossible.

Roberto Verzola

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