Peace River is getting a nuclear power plant. Actually, it is going in the community of Lac Cardinal, west of Peace River. Alberta Energy, a private company, has proposed to build two, twin-unit, Candu Reactors at a cost of $6.2 billion. This decision will start a long process of environmental studies to measure and predict the effects on the water and land. By the time that they actually get around to building the plant, and given the way construction costs are rising in this province, I hope they budgeted a lot more money.
At one time, nuclear energy was believed to be a sign of the future. Magazines carried articles that described nuclear powered cars. Science fiction writers envisioned personal-sized reactors that could power computers or military weapons. Clearly none of this has come to pass. Nuclear reactors do give the world some electricity but they have never been popular. There are ideas that have stuck in our minds.
Had Vermilion been considered for a nuclear power plant, I’m not too sure how I would have voted. I can’t deny a gut reaction against the idea. Nuclear energy almost equals disaster for some people. It’s an idea that stuck. And thanks to Chip and Dan Heath, who wrote the book Made to Stick, we have some understanding why some ideas stick in our minds while others, like your next nuclear/diesel hybrid SUV do not.
Sticky ideas are simple ones. Nuclear plants use radioactive material. They are controlled nuclear reactions. We know what uncontrolled nuclear reactions look like. Pictures of mushroom clouds could not make the idea more simple. Nuclear power leads to mushroom clouds. Sticky ideas catch us by surprise. I can only guess how surprised Finlanders were when they detected radioactive clouds blowing across their borders from the direction of Chernobyl. Stories from that area continue to make my eyes widen. Movies like China Syndrome makes the idea sticky by making the danger of a nuclear meltdown concrete. It also tells us a story that we can relate to and stir up our emotions.
It seems Alberta Energy has been able to overcome the fear of nuclear power. There are certainly other sticky ideas in action. Strong employment and economic growth is sticky because it has the same characteristics. So is the idea that nuclear means lots of energy with no smog or acid rain. Perhaps three – eyed fish won’t taste too bad.
