Couple of weeks back there was earth shattering (to some) news that scientists have worked out a new way to efficiently extract Uranium, used as fuel in Nuclear Reactors, from sea water. The earth shattering part is in the small innocuous disclosure that the world’s oceans contain almost 1000 times the Uranium estimated in conventional - read land - reserves [http://www.technologyreview.com/news/514751/novel-material-shows-promise-for-extracting-uranium-from-seawater/].
Which left me with a peculiar thought. What if the anti-Kundankulam and anti-nuclear protestors in India read real scientific journals and actually pay heed to science, instead of provoking fear and irrational thinking?
So here is an imaginary piece on how the enlightened involved in anti-nuclear protests would react. Before anyone cries about ‘insults’, ‘hurt sentiments’ or ‘defamation’ and the like, this article does not reflect on any real persons - any similarity in names to people, organisations and places is pure coincidence.
Emerging from their Idinthakarai hideout, the leaders of Peoples Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), S.P. Udayakumar, M. Pushparayan, Muhilan and assorted others decided to intensify their stir against Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP).
When someone raised the issue of researchers uncovering new technique to extract Uranium from sea water, it was immediately questioned by Udayakumar. Pushparayan who did not want to be left out of the headlines ridiculed the whole concept and questioned the scientists claims that new nano-technology is completely safe.
Udayakumar jumped in shouting that such dangerous and unsafe technology has the potential to cause run away reaction and would destroy the livelihood of all seafarers for 1000 or millions of years. He reiterated that PMANE would immediately petition the Chief Minister to call for halts to such dangerous tests.
Muhilan pointed out that release of sea water after extraction of Uranium would mean less salts for healthy, clean aquatic life in the seas and would turn all of the world’s oceans into slimy swamps, unfit for humans.
He further said that PMANE would file Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Madras High Court asking for orders and strictures to be passed against researchers of University of North Carolina.
During a lull in the screaming fracas, someone pointed out that scientists claim there is thousand times more Uranium in world’s oceans when compared to land. The leaders of PMANE immediately went into to a huddle and a few minutes later the warning bells installed in the village religious buildings could be heard pealing.
Within half an hour, PMANE managed to assemble a large number of women and children (most in their school uniforms) out from their day to day work, who immediately started to cry and chant ‘Save us from the Sea’.
The PMANE leaders resolved to consult Tamil chauvinists and like minded fringe political parties to write immediately to the President and Prime Minister of India to save PMANE and the people against KKNPP and nuclear energy by draining the Bay of Bengal.
PMANE leaders further reiterated that since quantity of Uranium in seawater is estimated to be 1000 times more than in land, it is thousand times more urgent for the Government of India to drain the Bay of Bengal than encourage MGREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act-Scheme).
Sources within the Government of India were tight lipped and refused to comment, merely saying they are watching the emerging situation with care.
:-P
Which left me with a peculiar thought. What if the anti-Kundankulam and anti-nuclear protestors in India read real scientific journals and actually pay heed to science, instead of provoking fear and irrational thinking?
So here is an imaginary piece on how the enlightened involved in anti-nuclear protests would react. Before anyone cries about ‘insults’, ‘hurt sentiments’ or ‘defamation’ and the like, this article does not reflect on any real persons - any similarity in names to people, organisations and places is pure coincidence.
Emerging from their Idinthakarai hideout, the leaders of Peoples Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), S.P. Udayakumar, M. Pushparayan, Muhilan and assorted others decided to intensify their stir against Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP).
When someone raised the issue of researchers uncovering new technique to extract Uranium from sea water, it was immediately questioned by Udayakumar. Pushparayan who did not want to be left out of the headlines ridiculed the whole concept and questioned the scientists claims that new nano-technology is completely safe.
Udayakumar jumped in shouting that such dangerous and unsafe technology has the potential to cause run away reaction and would destroy the livelihood of all seafarers for 1000 or millions of years. He reiterated that PMANE would immediately petition the Chief Minister to call for halts to such dangerous tests.
Muhilan pointed out that release of sea water after extraction of Uranium would mean less salts for healthy, clean aquatic life in the seas and would turn all of the world’s oceans into slimy swamps, unfit for humans.
He further said that PMANE would file Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Madras High Court asking for orders and strictures to be passed against researchers of University of North Carolina.
During a lull in the screaming fracas, someone pointed out that scientists claim there is thousand times more Uranium in world’s oceans when compared to land. The leaders of PMANE immediately went into to a huddle and a few minutes later the warning bells installed in the village religious buildings could be heard pealing.
Within half an hour, PMANE managed to assemble a large number of women and children (most in their school uniforms) out from their day to day work, who immediately started to cry and chant ‘Save us from the Sea’.
The PMANE leaders resolved to consult Tamil chauvinists and like minded fringe political parties to write immediately to the President and Prime Minister of India to save PMANE and the people against KKNPP and nuclear energy by draining the Bay of Bengal.
PMANE leaders further reiterated that since quantity of Uranium in seawater is estimated to be 1000 times more than in land, it is thousand times more urgent for the Government of India to drain the Bay of Bengal than encourage MGREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act-Scheme).
Sources within the Government of India were tight lipped and refused to comment, merely saying they are watching the emerging situation with care.
:-P
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