Iida Ruishalme: 'The significant threat to our nature is climate change, not nuclear power'

Biologist Iida Ruishalme became an environmental activist a few years ago when she awoke to the fact that the world would not necessarily stay the same for her children.

– I don't want my children to look me in the eyes when they grow up and ask why I didn't do anything. I want to believe and show that the world can be steered into a better direction through actions and example, Ms. Ruishalme says.

So, she put her money where her mouth is. She blogs actively on agriculture and environmental topics bringing a scientific viewpoint to the ongoing discussion in the society. She is also an active participant in the joint activities of ecomodernists in Europe.

– Ecomodernists emphasise the role of new technologies in nature conservation. We consider new innovations openly and in the light of the best available data. You can never know what could help and what could not, if all your thinking is prejudiced, she describes the activities of ecomodernists.

Decarbonised and fossil-free

Ecomodernists also look at nuclear with high hopes, and Iida Ruishalme sees it today as a necessary means for the future of Finland and the whole world.

– We need a lot of energy if we wish to have heating, Internet, schools and hospitals also in the future. Energy is needed also for a functional circular energy, such as recycling. Energy is vital for our society, and particularly, energy with low emissions, she points out.

The energy produced with nuclear power is clean energy and the energy density of uranium used as fuel is extremely high. That is why Iida Ruishalme believes that nuclear power plays an important role in the battle against climate change. As the amount of the fuel that is needed is smaller with uranium, the areas that are required to mine it are also small in comparison with the excavation of e.g., coal. She also stresses that the production of nuclear power generates a very small amount of waste and it is not allowed to spread uncontrollably in the environment like the emissions from fossil fuels.

– Uranium does not send fossil emissions and heavy metals into the sky to destroy our health and the climate, she concludes.

Fear is not helpful

In Iida Ruishalme's view, the strength of nuclear is its low impact on nature. However, its impact on our fears can be much greater. According to her, many people are afraid of nuclear due to its exotic and mysterious nature. From the evolutionary aspect, humans have benefited from reacting quickly to risks.

– Reactions towards nuclear are strong because its mechanics are difficult to understand. It's not a bad thing, but one should be aware of it. In my case, for example, for a very long time fear prevented me from understanding that nuclear power is not necessarily dangerous, Iida Ruishalme confesses.
Fear can prevent us from finding solutions to environmental problems. Iida Ruishalme started to familiarise herself with scientific studies written about nuclear power. She soon realised that many significant operators, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) classify nuclear as an important means for the production of low-emission energy.

– I hope people would wake up to recognise the danger caused by climate change instead of their fear of nuclear. After all, isn't nuclear power a very small risk in comparison with the crisis that climate change is causing to nature, Iida Ruishalme asks.

In her eyes, the threats caused by the warming of climate have become clearer and this has contributed to the increased support for nuclear power. Another reason for the change in the attitudes can be linked to the reliability of production and the sense of safety. If only energy forms dependent on weather are invested in, fluctuations of energy production will increase.

– Nobody wants to pay high electricity prices or suffer from power cuts. Many also dislike the idea of our society being fully dependent on imported electricity, she explains.

For these reasons, she sees Olkiluoto 3 as a change that raises her hopes.

– We have done something incredible in Finland which will allow us and the future generations to enjoy decarbonised and stable energy far into the future. Finland is setting an encouraging example to other countries, but there is need for more nuclear power in the future.

Iida Ruishalme
Biologist, scientist, ecomodernist and science blogger

• Iida Ruishalme presents her views in her blog Thoughtscapism.
• She lives in Switzerland and together with other ecomodernists is currently setting up the RePlanet community in Europe.

Text: Kati Marjamaa
Photo: Niklas Sandström