He is (very reasonably) expressing frustration at your attempt to reify an irrational fear. If measurable increases in carcinogenesis merit public policy discussions, it is reasonable --- probably imperative, in fact --- that we begin our discussions with things that actually cause cancer. Before you get to talk about the cost/benefit of producing electricity without nuclear power, we have to ban red meat.
In my mind there is a significant gap between someone who get's cancer from choosing to eat red meat, and someone who get's cancer from a coal power plant 200 miles away. Each coal power plant in the US kills a little over 1 person per day yet because you can't track the death to a specific power plant nobody get's sued etc.
