Is Nuclear Power Worth the Risks it Poses?

Is forgoing nuclear power worth the risks it poses?

Here's an in-depth analysis of nuclear power. It's from a libertarian publication, but it does a fairly good job of avoiding a political viewpoint, focusing mainly on the economics of nuclear power. Some very surprising conclusions are made.

Click on 'view this article' below the video to see a written discussion of the various myths.

http://reason.com/blog/2011/03/25/new-at-reason-veronique-de-rug

Yes. With incidences like Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Japan engineers are doing everything possible to strengthen these plants. As with any new technology there will be errors when implemented. It isn't a good showing with the failures like in Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, but like you said about there have been dozens of operational failures that have NOT been catastrophic. Maybe some would consider a reactor being shut down for a year a catastrophy, but in my eyes it's just another learning experience for the world. Now engineers will be able to find out what happened, and fix it in the future. And if nothing detremental happened to the plant, you can already see the new advancements in safety being implemented into these plants. Although coal is in abundance for now it will not be around forever, and when the world starts to realize how inefficient and unreliable wind and solar energy is they will be glad that we suffered through such hard times with nuclear energy to learn what we have learned. It is a shame that what happened happened, but I can promise you that you will never see a failure of the magnitude of Chernobyl or Three Mile Island again!

I can promise you that you will never see a failure of the magnitude of Chernobyl or Three Mile Island again!

That must be the funniest thing I have read in CR4 in a long time.

The real risk is not giving the investors any return on their investment. That is what the industry is upset about. Imagine all the trillions going down the drain and no end in sight. Just more repairs and alterations and then a bit. Throw in nature or terrorism or any of the uncounted, inponderable variables. All the kings soldiers........

This (the loss of investment) can be made less painful if the dismantling technologies are asked for internationally. That research is already being done and guess who is at the forefront of his technology?

You guessed it, the Germans. Do you seriously think that they are just doing a runner because they feel like it? They know exactly what they are doing and usually they set the trends. If they stop beating it you can be sure the horse is dead. Their decision making is not based on promises you can be sure of that.

Dismantling the "cadaver" is the challenge of the future. And then find a place to store it. The consequences of not investing in other technologies are dangerous. As we see even the taking to bits engineering.

Who do you think is going to sell more shares, the nuclear (supported by the military industrial complex) industry or the alternative technologies, engineers working on other applications? I am not a betting man so you are off the hook.

Saving energy is asked for not creating more. The "Back to the stone age" is another cadaver which needs to be dissected and fed to the ignorant. Not much nourishment in that argument. We could all survive and live well on a little less at a time.

...are doing everything possible to strengthen these plants.

That is so not true that it beggars belief. They are trying to stop the unstoppable at the moment and have no clue what to do. Strengthen? What are you talking about. You have no idea how discrediting such statement is. They real world looks much more out of control than you are trying to characterize here. Who are you any way to promise something?

I have been working on a system since years now so not to generate but to save energy. If saving 20% of your average household is not good enough for you..well... it is for me. Do you want me to stop everything and trust your promise that all will be good and that there is no need for something more down to earth?

In your dreams my Anonymous Poster #1 not in the dreams of my grand children.

In your dreams, Ky.