French Académie de médecine declares support for nuclear power

Brief

July 04, 2003

The French academy of medicine was practically unanimous in its support for nuclear power, stating that "not all energy sources are alike in terms of health risks," that it is "urgent" to reduce the production of greenhouse gases, and that it is "important to public health to choose energies with the lowest risk of interruption" since a lack of energy is the most serious health hazard of all.

According to the academy, nuclear power is justified "insofar as it is proven to have the fewest health impacts per kilowatt of power compared with fossil fuels, biomass and waste incineration…or even wind and solar energy." The academy recommends "major research" to assess the health effects of "low doses" of chemical and radioactive toxins.