* How did you get interested in environmental issues?*

It was by accident! Well, not really by accident. I grew up in this rocky coastland in the west of Ireland known for its karst, a barren limestone landscape encompassed by underground rivers, caves and sinkholes. The historical richness of this barren area, such as the presence of man-made structures aging approximately 5,000 years, and the occupation of the British in the area gave me the introduction to nature.

Tell us about your current projects.

What I am working on right now is a book on the politics of nuclear energy called Inheriting the Nuclear Genii. You can read all the books you want on how the atom splits to produce energy, and that is great! But I wanted to write about the political side of it as well. So, what I have done is really an attempt to not be objective. All that people read about nuclear energy is some guy trying to make a nuclear bomb and that they cannot do it because they are not friends of ours. This whole issue of friends and enemies, like this one, confuses kids. So in my book, I present politics, such as nuclear management and studying the consequences of nuclear reactors, through studying the radiation they produce. This is something that our students are not well exposed to or educated about. I am attempting to address more of the educational aspect of the potential risks of nuclear energy, and understanding the place we live at and how it could be seriously affected by radiation.

One other thing I am currently involved with is producing a documentary, done by students and my leadership. The Ontario Power Generation has been very helpful. I should stress the point that this is not intended to be scary, but rather an educational documentary that deals with real world issues. Also, we have tried to look into the history of nuclear energy and the scientists, particularly Canadians, involved in these projects around the world. However, I also have attempted to have a glance at the scary world for the next generation in the book concerning nuclear energy issues. But this is not the main purpose.

Do you have any advice for students who may be interested in environmental issues?

I would suggest that the students who are interested in environmental issues step out a bit and get involved in the local politics. This is a necessity. As one of the opportunities for students to get involved, I would like to be able to receive some help from students who are doing physics, chemistry and nuclear physics to give me a hand on some of the chapters of my book.

Interested students can contact Tony O’Donohue at [email protected]