Why is the left afraid of nuclear energy?
- Thread starter Tinkerpeach
- Start date
T. A. Gardner
Thread Killer
Yes. Palo Verde has tours. I've also worked on US Navy nuclear power plants. There's really little difference other than the size of the reactor(s). Oh, the U of A in Tucson used to have a tiny research reactor that I got to see as part of classes I took there.
ThatOwlWoman
Leftist Vermin
And Three Mile Island, don't forget that one.
It's likely that, in the future, we will have to return to building new nuke plants. Let's hope that the sci guys can figure out better ways to deal with the extremely long-lasting byproducts of this source of energy.
When did Three Mile Island secede from the United States?
OMFG, are you fucking serious? That might be the dumbest thing ever posted on JPP.
T. A. Gardner
Thread Killer
Of the three you mentioned, only Chernobyl was a true disaster. That was solely because it was an unsafe design right from the drawing board and only used because of an unaccountable Leftist, dictatorship allowing its use. Neither Fukushima or TMI resulted in any deaths directly due to the reactor meltdowns. At TMI, nobody got cancer, nobody died. At Fukushima, a few technicians and workers may get cancer as a result down the road. Neither saw any truly dangerous levels of radiation released.
In fact, the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster was far more costly and killed a dozen workers right off. The natural disaster that followed dwarfed anything TMI or Fukushima had happen. Toss in that it also cost more to clean up.
We already can deal with the nuclear waste from these plants. The only thing preventing it is a combination of politics, fear, and ignorance.
ThatOwlWoman
Leftist Vermin
Ah, another silly stereotype. One doesn't have to be a former nuclear plant engineer like my oldest son, or a current nuclear plant engineer like his son/my g-son, to understand both pros and cons of any type of energy source. By agreeing with the OP's strawman, you exhibit your amazing ability to suspend rational thought and jump on the partisan bias bandwagon.
ThatOwlWoman
Leftist Vermin
"The Three Mile Island accident was a partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island, Unit 2 (TMI-2) reactor on the Susquehanna River in Londonderry Township, Pennsylvania, near the Pennsylvania capital of Harrisburg. It began at 4 a.m.[2][3] on March 28, 1979, and released radioactive gases and radioactive iodine into the environment. It is the worst accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant history.[4] On the seven-point International Nuclear Event Scale, it is rated Level 5 – Accident with Wider Consequences.[5][6]"
Yet another #EpicTrollFail.
T. A. Gardner
Thread Killer
Maybe you should talk to your kids then. They'll set you straight on nuclear power and its safety record and viability.
ThatOwlWoman
Leftist Vermin
Stinkerbelle is a troll. This is what trolls do.
T. A. Gardner
Thread Killer
"The Three Mile Island accident was a partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island, Unit 2 (TMI-2) reactor on the Susquehanna River in Londonderry Township, Pennsylvania, near the Pennsylvania capital of Harrisburg. It began at 4 a.m.[2][3] on March 28, 1979, and released radioactive gases and radioactive iodine into the environment. It is the worst accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant history.[4] On the seven-point International Nuclear Event Scale, it is rated Level 5 – Accident with Wider Consequences.[5][6]"
Yet another #EpicTrollFail.
From YOUR Wiki page
Researchers at nearby Dickinson College—which had radiation monitoring equipment sensitive enough to detect Chinese atmospheric atomic weapons-testing—collected soil samples from the area for the ensuing two weeks and detected no elevated levels of radioactivity, except after rainfalls (likely due to natural radon plate-out, not the accident).[70] Also, white-tailed deer tongues harvested over 50 mi (80 km) from the reactor subsequent to the accident were found to have significantly higher levels of cesium-137 than in deer in the counties immediately surrounding the power plant. Even then, the elevated levels were still below those seen in deer in other parts of the country during the height of atmospheric weapons testing.[71] Had there been elevated releases of radioactivity, increased levels of iodine-131 and cesium-137 would have been expected to be detected in cattle and goat's milk samples; yet elevated levels were not found.[72] A later study noted that the official emission figures were consistent with available dosimeter data,[73] though others have noted the incompleteness of this data, particularly for releases early on.[74]
According to the official figures, as compiled by the 1979 Kemeny Commission from Metropolitan Edison and NRC data, a maximum of 480 PBq (13 MCi) of radioactive noble gases (primarily xenon) were released by the event.[75] However, these noble gases were considered relatively harmless, and only 481–629 GBq (13.0–17.0 Ci) of thyroid cancer-causing iodine-131 were released.[75] Total releases according to these figures were a relatively small proportion of the estimated 370 EBq (10 GCi) in the reactor. It was later found that about half the core had melted, and the cladding around 90% of the fuel rods had failed,[21][76] with 5 ft (1.5 m) of the core gone, and around 20 short tons (18 t) of uranium flowing to the bottom head of the pressure vessel, forming a mass of corium.[77] The reactor vessel—the second level of containment after the cladding—maintained integrity and contained the damaged fuel with nearly all of the radioactive isotopes in the core.[78]
ThatOwlWoman
Leftist Vermin
Incorrect. The plants cost BILLIONS to build and millions to safely maintain. Do you really think the utility company is going to eat that? Nope. YOU get to pay for it. Anecdotally, we Ameren Electric customers saw our bills jump when the Calloway plant near Fulton MO came on line in the mid-1980s. I recall my summer electric bill being nearly as high as our rent.
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ThatOwlWoman
Leftist Vermin
It's still a release, isn't it?
ThatOwlWoman
Leftist Vermin
Wish I could find a photo my son sent me years back. It's a pic he took of the reactor core of the Baton Rouge plant where he worked at the time. He also served on a nuclear sub while in the Navy; that's what got him interested in taking the position at Entergy when he got out.
After Fukushima, he and his team were tasked with determining what went wrong leading up to the meltdown and subsequent radioactive materials release, and how to prevent something similar at their plant. It took them nearly a year to complete. U.S. companies, for the most part, go above and beyond to ensure that our nuke plants are safely operated.
ThatOwlWoman
Leftist Vermin
Already have. Notice that I am not arguing against it. I'm merely pointing out that idiot MAGATs will swallow any b.s. about LWers presented by another MAGAT.
And billions more to decommission.
T. A. Gardner
Thread Killer
It was insignificant. It was no big deal. Or, are you so technically illiterate on the subject of radiation that you simply see any release as 'bad'?
Wrong, I pay for that when they are shut down. Ask the people of Germany.
T. A. Gardner
Thread Killer
Solar plants cost billions to build and millions to maintain. What's your point? When you put them head-to-head on a yearly output basis solar is more expensive than nuclear. If you want expensive electricity go all in on solar and wind. It'll easily triple your current electric bill.
Then there’s the problem of nuclear waste!