The Dirty Hippies Guide to Nuke-Ye-Ler Power.
Here's the thing eco-kids, If I asked you to name the form of electricity generation that accounts for more than half our national power generation, creates vast amount of radioactive waste, and poses a radioactivity and ecological hazard to the citizens living near generating plans, what would you pick?
The answer is Coal.
Nuclear power represents less than 15% of our national power generation, and despite all the hysteria, actually produces less radioactive waste than the use of a coal fired powerplant with the same wattage output. When Coal combusts it releases large amounts of naturally occuring thorium and uranium not into spent fuel rods to be burried in a mountain, but into the open air. Air radiation doses close to coal fired powerplants are substantially greater than those near Nuke-ye-lar power plants.
You want to talk about polution? Nuclear power's output is pure non-radioactive water vapor. Coal's output is a truly impressive coctail of greenhouse gases and carcinogens.
You want to talk about safety? More people are killed every year MINING coal than have been killed in the history of nuclear power accidents.
So please, I implore you, educate yourself before you bumper sticker and protest us into an ecological nightmare. Nuclear power is cheaper, cleaner, safer, and vastly more sustainable (particularly in the US) than any other available technology. Hydrogen has promise, but it isn't here yet. The reality today is that If you boycott Nuclear, you endorse Coal.
Here's the thing eco-kids, If I asked you to name the form of electricity generation that accounts for more than half our national power generation, creates vast amount of radioactive waste, and poses a radioactivity and ecological hazard to the citizens living near generating plans, what would you pick?
The answer is Coal.
Nuclear power represents less than 15% of our national power generation, and despite all the hysteria, actually produces less radioactive waste than the use of a coal fired powerplant with the same wattage output. When Coal combusts it releases large amounts of naturally occuring thorium and uranium not into spent fuel rods to be burried in a mountain, but into the open air. Air radiation doses close to coal fired powerplants are substantially greater than those near Nuke-ye-lar power plants.
You want to talk about polution? Nuclear power's output is pure non-radioactive water vapor. Coal's output is a truly impressive coctail of greenhouse gases and carcinogens.
You want to talk about safety? More people are killed every year MINING coal than have been killed in the history of nuclear power accidents.
So please, I implore you, educate yourself before you bumper sticker and protest us into an ecological nightmare. Nuclear power is cheaper, cleaner, safer, and vastly more sustainable (particularly in the US) than any other available technology. Hydrogen has promise, but it isn't here yet. The reality today is that If you boycott Nuclear, you endorse Coal.
Course, I'm a scifi nut, so I dream of little robots turning the mares of the moons into giant solar collecters. As long as someone doesn't make it an international park or something.