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[misko27]

In the grand scheme of things, nuclear power has been quite kind to the environment, compared to say, oil, coal, and arguably hydroelectric.

The people of Fukishima and Chernobyl would like to have a word with you.

[TheBronzePickle]

Where I'm at, if a protester tried to break into a nuclear power plant, they'd be cut down by a sniper (or, if there's enough of them, a machine gun) before they even knew they were in danger. The local plant has military-grade pillboxes stationed with marksmen armed with sniper rifles as just part of the paramilitary security force.

In the grand scheme of things, nuclear power has been quite kind to the environment, compared to say, oil, coal, and arguably hydroelectric.

The people of Fukishima and Chernobyl would like to have a word with you.

Chernobyl is a natural haven for animals, some of whom were almost wiped out by other human activities (like wolves). Fukushima was flashy and scary but in reality hasn't done shit. Not even the 'Fukushima 50,' those guys who stayed behind to fix everything, have gotten very hurt by the incident.

Nuclear power is safe, it just scares people.

[Frumple]

Massive chunks of mountains, crap like black lung, huge bodies of water, gods know damming has caused problems above and beyond what nuclear's done to any particular city...

It's a pretty accurate statement. Yeah, nuclear's had its problems but, comparatively, it's been doing pretty well.

[Flying Dice]

Let me put it more clearly: I'm not frightened of nuclear power. I'm frightened of human incompetence and stupidity. Everything we build is inevitably going to be subject to failure at some point because people will always manage to fuck up royally.


On that scale of things, nuclear power is still substantially safer than, say, a core tap.

[Scelly9]

You called?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/110323-earth-mantle-drill-sample-first-science-nature-teagle/
Not quiet as drastic as what you're talking about, but still if they fuck that up....

[MetalSlimeHunt]

We aren't in any more danger from tapping the mantel than we are from tapping the crust, and we aren't tapping the core any time this century.

[TheBronzePickle]

Yes, humans can fuck up royally, and it's really likely.

So what smart people do is they get a whole fuckload of people and they have them all work together and be redundant. One person screwing up is likely, 10 of them screwing up is unlikely, 10 of them, 2 backup systems, 10 more people, another 2 or 3 backup systems, and finally the entire damn facility screwing up is really, really, really unlikely.

[misko27]

It's a nnumbers game. Coal and Oil have ben going for many many years, and the effects are obvious. Nuclear is much more recent, just wait. Imagine if something goes wrong, say, next to a American Population center. And something WILL go wrong. It's just how it works. Shit goes wrong in Oil, spills, such, but the problem is, that isn't as terrifically serious.

We aren't in any more danger from tapping the mantel than we are from tapping the crust, and we aren't tapping the core any time this century.

Yeah, not happenin. Deepest hole is 7.2 miles, took years, and massively expensive.

[TheBronzePickle]

The electrical revolution only happened maybe 20 years before 1900, probably less. Nuke has been around only a little less than half as long as the concept of mass-produced power itself. We've seen a fair share of it's 'disasters' and they've been no worse than those of other types of human engineering, and in a lot of cases much, much less.

[Skyrunner]

I feel it's more like planes verses cars.

Planes are really really safe, but when something happens it gets a lot of publicity, and people die.
Cars aren't as safe, but a simple car accident doesn't get that much hype or news coverage.

Nuclear reactors are safe except when they fail catastrophically.
Fossil fuel plants slowly but surely sicken the environment, be it because of exhaust, oil spills, pollution...

[MetalSlimeHunt]

A lot of the problems of fossil fuel plants can be mitigated and occasionally even eliminated, but businesses will never implement those features unless they are required to by regulation. For example, sulfur capture in coal plants can eliminate acid rain in a region.

[Flying Dice]

In other words, fossil fuel plants are the death of one thousand cuts (never mind that concept being misinterpreted) whereas nuclear plants are cyanide in the wine one night. Gods help us if we ever get practical antimatter power, because that's a scale of fuckup I don't ever want to witness. Something like being beheaded with a skyscraper.

Aren't I in a cheery mood tonight.

[kaijyuu]

Come now, antimatter-matter reactions are just super gamma rays. Cancer for everything in a few miles, but no fallout.

[TheBronzePickle]

Or walking-ghost syndrome, if you're close enough. Or, you know, instantaneous disintegration, probably the single least-painful way you could ever possibly die ever.

[misko27]

In other words, fossil fuel plants are the death of one thousand cuts (never mind that concept being misinterpreted) whereas nuclear plants are cyanide in the wine one night. Gods help us if we ever get practical antimatter power, because that's a scale of fuckup I don't ever want to witness. Something like being beheaded with a skyscraper.

Aren't I in a cheery mood tonight.

Excellent point.

It's a numbers game. Eventually, EVENTUALLY, there will be a absolutely royal fuck up. It is going to be next to a American population cneter. Alot of people are going to die. Why wait? Sure it hasn't happened yet. We are very lucky that is the case. People in generations future are going to wish they were us and could still fix things. Let's not let it get that far.

Or walking-ghost syndrome, if you're close enough. Or, you know, instantaneous disintegration, probably the single least-painful way you could ever possibly die ever.

I still like freezing to death. Just, all of a sudden being very warm. Very sleepy. Just want to lie, down, and let go.