It was interesting to learn from a Channel 4 documentary about people who were staunchly against nuclear energy, diehard greens, having come to change their view. They were saying that back in the 1980s nuclear used for bombs and nuclear used for power had become fused in people’s minds and maybe that wasn’t so clever. Influenced by protest many coal plants were built which are more dangerous to the environment than nuclear. They now think nuclear energy isn’t so bad, actually it’s the way to go.

Well, credit to them for being honest, but there is also something a bit annoying about their conversion. You had to listen to a lot of dubious rhetoric back then - e.g from socialists who argued for the virtues of The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe before it emerged just how horribly corrupt these systems were.

I am and always was sceptical about political proselytising. Perhaps it was because my father was a disillusioned communist and I had grown up listening to his complaints. But just intuitively I sensed there is invariably a strong emotional quality to that kind of posturing and that although hearts might be in the right place heads often aren’t.

With age comes perspective and compromise (to some) and you realise that nothing is ideal. Far from it. Life is an imperfect thing. There is nothing done by humans that isn’t flawed. Knowing that back then always stopped me from subscribing to political movements. I was full of youthful optimism and hope in other ways but always sceptical about protest movements especially the ones with a moral tone.

I’m not saying that nuclear isn’t dangerous and shouldn’t be viewed with serious caution. I’m saying I don’t know enough to warrant pontification, just like the young environmentalists didn’t know enough back then. They weren’t sufficiently mature to have a feel for the compromises involved in choosing lesser evils.

Freedom of opinion and speech is a good thing but people who don’t know should shut up just the same.