Our history of nuclear sacrifice

The historical through line of the nuclear industry is one of sacrifice — sacrifice of lives and lands; and reliable, robust science. Throughout our nuclear history, research institutions and regulatory authorities have devalued the health of women, children and pregnancy, in service of maintaining and expanding nuclear technology. This practice continues and is documented in Cindy Folkers' most recent paper, summaraized here: “Disproportionate Impacts of Radiation Exposure on Women, Children, and Pregnancy: Taking Back our Narrative” published online in the Journal of the History of Biology.

This matters because society is now making crucial and long-lasting decisions about the energy sources we might use to address the climate crisis. The serious consideration of nuclear power as one of these sources needs to be informed by a research and policy focus on radiation’s disproportionate impacts.