Does Every Nation on Earth Have a Right to Build Nuclear Power Plants

WarrenPlatts

Is it the case that every country in the world--including places like North Korea, Iran and Syria--ought to have the right to build nuclear power plants? (That is, the question is not whether such countries currently have a legal right under international law.)

A. Yes

B. No

Orefa

And more importantly... Is it the case that any country in the world has the right to decide what another country has the right to do?

russ_watters

I voted yes, but I am not blind to the danger inherrent in it. I think that countries without nuclear weapons who want nuclear plants should be monitored - it should be (if it isn't already) a component of the NPT.

PerennialII

Yes, although would like to see a system in place where for example IAEA would give permission on a case by case basis.

WarrenPlatts

Good question. I would say only when one country is guilty of immoral acts of barbarism that are beyond the pale. Especially actual genocide, and perhaps threats of genocide backed up by nuclear tipped IRBM's.

Orefa

Yeah, I guess. I mean, if a country were guilty of immorally spreading materialism, pornography, violent passtimes and similarly barbaric practices across the planet, or if it exploited smaller countries to maintain its own standard of living, or if it had a habit of threatening various other countries now and then, if these threats were backed up by the means of carrying them out, if it had shown before that it was both able and willing to do so, if it had already forcefully overthrown governments and systems it disagreed with, then I guess any other country would have the right to stop them. On the other hand we could just stop talking of right and wrong and just realize that the law of the jungle still applies. Does any country have any right? Only the right to do whatever it can get away with.

Azael

yes I think every nation has a right to nuclear power. Mostly to limit worldwide pollution.

WarrenPlatts

WOW! 8 to 1 already if you count Orefa's vote.

I guess I'm really out of the mainstream this time!

Unbelievable. . . .

jimmie

Theoretically, governments could make your question a moot topic by effectively outlawing any possession of any nuclear-powered device by any particular nation.

Realistically, governments could, and should, focus many R&D dollars, many billions, into
developing large scale energy systems' infrastructure built to be as environmentally friendly as possible, which precludes nuclear.

As uncomfortable as it may be, human beings cannot live forever on the current energy systems.

Until there is political will to convert from fossil-based, non environmentally-friendly energy systems (see: hydroelectric), to an energy system that is environmentally-friendly (see: hydrogen), there will always be one nation that demands to use nuclear power, and there will always be an other nation that is suspicious and fearful that the one nation actually wants nuclear power for a bomb, and living with suspicion and fear is no way to live.

Is it right for any nation on earth to build nuclear power plants?

Just because you can does not mean you should.

Orefa

Well, I'm actually abstaining. Right and wrong is subjective, relative and not even relevant most of the time. If you want and can then do, otherwise don't. A better question might have been "Do you WANT all countries to have access to nuclear power" without injecting morality into it. Everyone can answer based on their own personal reasons. You would get more of the NOs you are looking for this way.

russ_watters

The answer to that was decided by consensus with the forming of the UN and is a clear yes. Given the content of your second post, do you see the irony of saying that? If morality is truly relative, then you cannot say that the US is immoral.

Again, the UN has reached a very specific consensus on a broad specturm of moral issues. Regadless of whether you believe it is right or wrong for that to be the case, it is a fact. Further, the fact that the member countries agreed to this moral code means that they must abide by it.

russ_watters

Perhaps you could shed some light on what your actual opinion is...? A simple "no" doesn't really explain how your opinion would apply in the real world. Ie, are you weighing the concept of forfeiting of rights when forming your opinion on this? Few, if any rights are absolute (the only one where there is significant debate is the right to life), so saying that nuclear power is a right does not mean it can't be taken away if the country screws up.

SOS2008

What if a country does not sign such agreements at all, or changes their position regarding agreements like the U.S. has?

Orefa

Russ, read the question once more. It explicitly states that it's not asking if the right currently exists but if it ought to exist.


Yes I can since it is relative. But I did not, and you missed the actual irony. The point I made in the post you refer to was that if you accuse some country of "immoral acts of barbarism" then you should be prepared to receive the same accusation.

Art

Perhaps you'd care to explain the continuing US embargo of Cuba despite an annual vote to end it in the UN of 178 - 2 (the US and Israel being the 2 against ), the US breaches of the UN Convention on Torture, the illegal war in Iraq, not to mention the US funding and training of terrorists to overthrow democratically elected gov'ts all around the world and Israel's continuing refusal to abide by UN resolutions.

All of which you have expressed personal support for. A case of 'do as I say don't do as I do'.

WarrenPlatts

OK, Orefa abstains, but it's still 10 to 2--80% to 20%.

Why did I vote no? For the same reason we don't allow convicted felons to own guns. Those states that have a proven record of irresponsibility cannot be trusted with nuclear power plants because all too often the "peaceful" use of uranium becomes a cover for clandestine nuclear weapons programs. And some places just don't have the organizational skills to ensure that a melt-down doesn't occur and thus spewing radiation across borders, and poisening half a continent.

Besides, if a nation really wants to reduce fossil fuel consumption and CO₂ production, there are other alternatives.

Astronuc

One might as well ask if any nation has the right to exist. I suppose it probably comes down to "Might Makes Right".

Under the UN's Atoms for Peace program, the right to have a nuclear energy program was more or less established.

Hopefully, nations will learn to use nuclear energy wisely.


http://www.iaea.org/About/index.html

http://www.iaea.org/About/history.html

http://www.fas.org/nuke/control/npt/