From Energy Dreams to Nuclear Nightmares; Lessons from the Anti-nuclear Power Movement in the 1970s

by Unknown

• ISBN13: 9781897766996
• ISBN10: 1897766998
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2006-04-28
• Publisher: Jon Carpenter Publishing

Summary

This book challenges the existing histories and explanations for the growth of the anti-nuclear power movement in the United Kingdom from 1955 to 1979. Arguing that opposition to nuclear power emerged in the 1970s because of the concerns of a minority of people about the dangers of atomic energy, based on the ecological messages contained in bestselling science fiction novels from the late 1940s to mid 1960s. Showing how a minority of the 1960s underground press blended old conservation ideas with counterculture styles to create new radical groups such as Friends of the Earth, this analysis also seeks to answer questions such as: Why an anti-nuclear power movement instead of an anti-coal or anti-asbestos movement? What was it about nuclear power that generated such oppositionits environmental impact, its cost, its prospects or its symbolism? and Could wind power in the 21st century face to the same forces that opposed nuclear power 30 years ago?

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	vi
Preface	vii
Chapter 1 Introduction	1	(9)
Chapter 2 The saga of reprocessing	10	(3)
Chapter 3 Twentieth century nuclear visions	13	(14)
Chapter 4 Public opinion	27	(5)
Chapter 5 Energy utopianism	32	(14)
Chapter 6 Ecology and science fiction	46	(14)
Chapter 7 SF's ecological vision	60	(8)
Chapter 8 Atomic energy in the 1960's	68	(10)
Chapter 9 Schumacher's ethical campaign	78	(12)
Chapter 10 Stourport: Citizens against the nuke	90	(11)
Chapter 11 Counterculture and alternative press	101	(18)
Chapter 12 The environmental impulse	119	(13)
Chapter 13 The environmental movement	132	(11)
Chapter 14 Recruiting anti-nuke activists	143	(10)
Chapter 15 The anti-nuclear campaign in the 1970's	153	(12)
Chapter 16 Early local campaigns	165	(11)
Chapter 17 The Windscale Inquiry: glory or fiasco?	176	(18)
Chapter 18 THORP constructed	194	(4)
Chapter 19 Why anti-nuke?	198	(12)
Chapter 20 FoE hagiology	210	(7)
Chapter 21 Soft energy utopianism	217	(4)
Bibliography	221	(4)
Acronyms and Abbreviations	225	(1)
Footnotes	226	(8)
Index	234