alternatehistory.com

January 22, 1967

Nuclear industry downplays threat of radiation [1]

Recent polls show that more than 70% of Americans oppose the construction of new atomic plants. As public opposition to the construction of atomic power plants in the United States mounts, the industry has launched an initiative to persuade a skeptical public that the hazards of nuclear power are overblown. The atomic energy industry wants to set the record straight with the American public.

The nuclear proponents are led by the Atomic Industrial Forum, an industry organization which has set up a separate lobbying arm called the Atomic Truth Council (ATC). [2] The AIF has changed its status from a trade organization to an educational group to allow more flexibility in its activities, and doubled its public relations budget. The newly-founded atomic lobby group has launched a series of television ads that downplay the risks of nuclear power. They aim to portray Fermi as a rare aberration, and convince the public that nuclear power remains a safe, economical source of energy. “Fermi has made nuclear power safer,” declared one ad. A TV commercial declared that radiation is “all around us” and shouldn’t necessarily inspire fear. This trial run of ads is hoped to bring about attitudinal changes that are favorable to nuclear energy. [3]

The nuclear power industry is not only trying to rehabilitate its image with voters, but also schoolchildren. In an attempt to counter the negative image of atomic energy perpetuated by the media, educational films portraying atomic power in a favorable light will be distributed to schools across the country. [4] The atomic industry lobbyists claim that atomic power is necessary for the US to keep up with the Soviet Union, which is rapidly advancing its civilian nuclear power program. They argue atomic energy not only plays an important role in producing power, but also in establishing American dominance. [5]