Introduction

I have worked on this subject from the end of 1995 up to about the end of 1996. My graduation teacher dr. Bart van der Sijde had received an offer from Greenpeace to do a study about the proliferation-related subjects associated with civil reprocessing and re-use of plutonium. We readily decided to cover a broader spectrum of issues concerning plutonium reprocessing. Shortly after my graduation in august 1996, Greenpeace launched their reprocessing campaign. So far, there have not been many concrete results in spite of some well-arranged p.r. stunts.

I'd like to make one thing very clear: I am not a member of Greenpeace and this text represents my views, not nescessarily theirs. Furthermore, I do not aspire to mention every technical detail. I am more interested in the underlying mechanisms which make plutonium production and usage possible in the first place, even institutionalized in an economic market system. And believe me, it has been made very clear to me on several occasions that certain people do not appreciate a physicist wasting his talent on issues like these. Fortunately, I have managed to stay out of the pavlovian arena. Part of this just happened, since the institutions involved aren't too interested in personal opinions anyway (including Greenpeace), but I have also consciously avoided getting wrapped up in the "scientific" debate. I have no desire to appear any less radical than I am, and I figured that using other people's idiom for the sake of being intellectually acceptable in circles of influence is already half a compromise. Besides, why should I take the heed and make myself a very easy target for the nuke lobby? Some people, typically leftists, would at this point like to remind me of "the good cause" and I would in turn like to encourage them to go for it, and leave me be. So for what it's worth, here is my story. I hope you'll enjoy reading it, and I hope you'll learn a thing or two about the world of nuclear madness.