• Question: What do people not like about nuclear power??

    Asked by Amanpreet to Ahmed, Francesca, George, James, Nitheen on 13 Nov 2014. This question was also asked by megan.
    • Photo: Francesca Paradisi

      Francesca Paradisi answered on 13 Nov 2014:

      I think mostly is the danger associated with it if something goes wrong. Nuclear power is an excellent source of energy but the risk of having it in your back yard, IF something happens like the tsunami in Japan, is indeed high.

    • Photo: James Sullivan

      James Sullivan answered on 13 Nov 2014:

      Hi Amanpreet,

      The fact that the waste products of nuclear power – from which you can no longer extract useful energy – are far more radioactive (and therefore far more dangerous) than the starting fuel.

      Also they have very long lifetimes meaning they’ll be emitting dangerous particles for thousands of years after we’re finished with them.

      People are concerned about how we deal with this waste.

    • Photo: George Dowson

      George Dowson answered on 14 Nov 2014:

      I think a large part of the fear is the invisibility of radiation and concerns about the storage of the long term waste.

      Invisible rays you can’t see or feel causing great damage to your body is pretty scary however it’s typical human behaviour to focus on worst case scenarios. Like being afraid of a plane crash when car crashes are a lot more common. In the same way normal coal power plants actually release more radiation than nuclear reactors due to tiny amounts of uranium and other radioactive materials in the coal!

    • Photo: Ahmed Osman

      Ahmed Osman answered on 17 Nov 2014:

      Hi Amanpreet,
      When people express their nuclear hate, they usually argue about: the dangers from radiation leaks, the risk of weapons proliferation, the nuclear waste problem, that nuclear power is too expensive and in any case we just don’t need it!
      There are seven reasons why we shouldn’t use nuclear power:
      1- Every nuclear power reactor makes massive amounts of radioactive waste.
      2- The explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear power station was the worst industrial accident of any kind in history. Tens of thousands of people have died, and more will over time. The estimated cost of the consequences of that accident to date is over 350 Billion dollars
      3-Every radiation exposure increases our risk of cancer.
      4-Nuclear power is the most expensive energy source that has ever been implemented at the industrial scale, and the full true costs have never been considered.
      5-Living with nuclear waste is a challenge; it constantly emits penetrating radiation, and when not contained, migrates easily in our environment.
      6- Nuclear Power reactors release radioactivity to the air and the water on an ongoing basis, even with no accident.
      7-Coastal reactors have been shown to kill sea mammals and threaten the endangered sea turtle.

      The biggest reason to oppose nuclear reactors is that there are OTHER ways to make electricity that do not pollute, do not cause cancer and are AVAILABLE TODAY!!! Bio-fuel, Solar, wind and innovative low-impact hydro systems combined with efficient appliances, building design and construction that lower our energy requirements, can meet our needs. NOW At lower cost, with no waste! The only waste of renewable power is when we DON’T USE IT!

      I hope it clear now
      thanks
      Ahmed

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