Nuclear Engergy Dangerous?

[Drachma]

Do you believe that the use of nuclear power plants is a hazard? Might there be a catastrophe like what happened in Chernobyl?

I live within a few miles of a plant, and I am more afraid of getting struck by lightning than of being affected by nuclear material.

What do you think?

[eclipse]

I'm thinking it's potentially deadly and expensive.

That is, even if it's only a 1 in 100 thousand chance, the consequences are JUST TOO UNTHINKABLE that we shouldn't bother. Can you imagine the cost if say, Australians were to build a huge plant near Sydney, and it went? Even if we evacuated everyone out safetly and no-one developed cancer (from the accident, anyway), what would the COST be of permanently evacuating Sydney?

Unthinkable.

Also, Nuclear power is one of the most subsidized industries in the world. The sheer cost of storing nuclear waste, building the plant to safety expectations and standards, etc, means that it's just not economically viable. All that govt money used to subsidize it should go into research to make solar, wind, and wave cheaper. If someone flies a plane into a solar plant, we say "Oh dear, I have to buy another solar plant" not "Crap, there goes Sydney".

[debs]

There's always a risk, but I suppose you could say that about a lot of things in life.

[Besoeker]

Originally Posted by eclipse

I'm thinking it's potentially deadly.....

So is driving a car but could you get people to stop?
In UK there are about 3,000 fatalities a year from RTAs.
As far as I am aware, there have been no fatalities attributable to nuclear power generation in UK.

[Drachma]

Exaclty, Besoeker. There are plenty of things we should be worrying about more than nuclear energy. Also, you have to consider how much less waste this method produces. If you put a few coal burning plants near Sydney, you'll have one heck of a polluted city. A nuclear power plant produces a fraction of the waste and that can be safely contained and buried.

[Deathridesahorse]

Originally Posted by Besoeker

So is driving a car but could you get people to stop?
In UK there are about 3,000 fatalities a year from RTAs.
As far as I am aware, there have been no fatalities attributable to nuclear power generation in UK.

Nuclear Weapons are a threat to the world.

Even a dirty bomb would cause chaos to New York, London or any other major economic hub of the world.

[forfismum]

Originally Posted by Deathridesahorse

Nuclear Weapons are a threat to the world.

Maybe so,but we are talking nuclear power here

Even a dirty bomb would cause chaos to New York, London or any other major economic hub of the world.

No doubt about that,would you like me to make you one? I live near a hospital and can get the"makings" in about 20 minutes if you have time .

[Truelyana]

Originally Posted by Drachma

Do you believe that the use of nuclear power plants is a hazard? Might there be a catastrophe like what happened in Chernobyl?

I live within a few miles of a plant, and I am more afraid of getting struck by lightning than of being affected by nuclear material.

What do you think?

What happened in Chernobyl exactly?

[Wobs]

Originally Posted by Truelyana

What happened in Chernobyl exactly?

The area got taken over by nature after an outdated reactor got abused. A design that would never make it off the drawing board today.

Less people have died from nuclear accidents than have died from coal power. You could even argue its safer than hydroelectric.

[Truelyana]

Originally Posted by Wobs

The area got taken over by nature after an outdated reactor got abused. A design that would never make it off the drawing board today.

Less people have died from nuclear accidents than have died from coal power. You could even argue its safer than hydroelectric.

Just wanted to understand Drachma's own version of the story first, as it seems everyone has a different understanding. I agree about less people dying from it, and it being safer than hydroelectric.