Comment from a reader about support for Czech anti nuclear movement

I have a number of readers that are a bit shy about posting comments on the blog, so we engage in off line discussions that can become quite useful. If possible, I obtain permission from the correspondent to share those discussions with you. Here is a recent one that I thought you might enjoy. (The reader asked to remain anonymous. Also, please note that the conversation is with someone who speaks English as a second language.)

Dear reader:

I apologize for my delay in responding. It has been a very busy time for me both professionally and personally.

I have not had a chance to take a look at your web sites or to go back and take a new look at my “Fission is the New Fire” talk through the lens of the comments that you provided. Both actions are on my to do list once other events hit a lull.

One immediate comment is that I find it perfectly “logical” if a bit devious that the Austrian government would support anti-nuclear groups if the government has a financial interest in a competitive power source. Money is certainly a corrupting force and an explanation (motive) for many seemingly irrational actions. In fact, it is one of my main theories – most anti-nuclear activity is at least partially supported by individuals or groups with interests in competitive energy supplies. There is great profit to be made by limiting the supply of energy and keeping a serious competitor hamstrung.

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Hi Rod,

Thanks for the response, I hope you find successful solutions to all those issues you are dealing with now.

I have a comment to your comment – actually it is logical and devious, as you say. I have a friend whose girlfriend was a speaker of Greenpeace for antinuclear matters in the Czech Republic; now she does the same s$%# for Calla (a similar organization). That is a long story, but anyways my friend, boyfriend of this lady, told me once with a surprised face: “all the environmental movements in Czechia are financed from Austria, you didn’t know that? I thought everybody knew that.”

To be precise they are not financed by the government of Austria proper, but by the government of Upper Austria in Linz, which is involved in the energy industry. I thoroughly appreciate your suspicion, esp. after I’ve read discussion among environmentalists in the Czech Republic such as “Is it moral to take money from companies which pollute environment?” (A: of course it is, you know you will use that money for a good cause and you need them). I don’t think there necessarily must be any conspiracies involved, it is just common goals which result into funding which buys media space resulting to ones feeling of importance, thus reinforcing the original beliefs – and of course the guys who provide funding can explain why what they are doing is OK, and I think those guys such as Amory Lovins “get it” not only because of funding, but also because their shallow rooting in hard sciences…

Anyways, I’m glad that the wheel is turning 🙂 I’ve seen several online discussions in Czech and the only anti-nuclear contributers were a few well known professional activists which got completely ridiculed by dozens of pro-nuclear contributors (and usually one or two confused guys (actually gals) with a comment such as “but aren’t you afraid that it
explodes like Chernobyl”). It seems that the mean age by antinuclear activists increases by 1 each year, as someone pointed out.