Nuclear Power Plants: Are Ye for it?

[sixpacktr]

My particular favorite (not necessarily Enquirer, but...) is 'Batboy'. That one always makes me laugh...

[anatess]

I used to work at a Nuclear Power Plant in Ohio. I'm very much all for it.

[Captain_Curmudgeon]

Random thoughts (that's the best I can do lately).

• There was a truly gruesome incident in Idaho in the past. When I studied it, it made me about lose my lunch. The fact that there had even been an incident was classified then and still may be now. Believe me: you don't want to know the details.
• Once I grasped the simple fact that the supply of oil is not infinite and that we'd probably reached the peak, I immediately tried to find out how to invest in nuclear power. Not that simple -- if you have some ideas, please post them here. Looks even better when you see how slowly the research into alternatives or even the recognition that we're going to need them is.
• The plan for a nuclear plant in southern Utah is a pipe dream fueled, as usual, by some get-rich scheme of some member of the Utah Legislature. Cooling water.
• I wouldn't invest in fusion schemes. They've been "promising" since I was in my 20s (look at my avatar photo).
• If fusion ever does work, it's going be incredible (check out Ossian's Ride by Fred Hoyle).
• Not in my back yard. Elsewhere, how do I buy some?

[john doe]

Having lived somewhat near the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, I have heard a few stories. If they are classified they are not very good at keeping secrets since the basic details were printed in the newspapers. Yes, there have been incidents and accidents there that have resulted in deaths. Not a lot, but a few. It should be noted however, that the reactors involved were experimental breeder reactors, not the type of reactors currently used in producing electrical power. As far as I know, there have not been any radiation releases in any of those incidents, and the accidents were caused by human errors of some type or other.

[Hemidakota]

I believe it is time for Fusion Power vice Nuclear.

[rameumptom]

You either deal with some nuclear waste, or a lot of fossil fuel pollution. Sounds to me like we need to build a few nuclear power plants. And soon.

[farmer]

I'm for nuke power but I'd rather see more dams.

[rameumptom]

There are only so many rivers and so many decent locations for dams. We've pretty much used up all the decent places in the USA.

[unixknight]

Originally Posted by john doe

Remind those of us who aren't familiar with the numbers: how many people died in the Three Mile Island incident, and how much radiation was released to the atmosphere?

I once had a long and very interesting conversation with a former nuclear plant engineer.

He said that the total amount of radiation released during the entire crisis could be imagined this way: if you were sitting inside the fence line, for the whole time of the crisis, you'd have received a dose of radiation equivalent to a medical X-ray.

Where does the REAL threat of radiation come from?

Coal burning power plants.

Consider naturally occurring radiation, like radon. There's a lot of it in the coal that gets mined to fuel the plants. Since that radiation is naturally occurring, the NRC does not regulate it. The coal is burned, and the radioactivity goes out the smokestack along with the soot and exhaust.

Literally, coal power puts more radiation into the atmosphere than nuclear power does. The NRC is VERY strict in its regulation of nuclear plants.

[prisonchaplain]

The only time gas spiked to over $5 a gallon is when I decided to take the family on a road trip to Utah. Maybe, instead of nuclear, if I simply promise never to drive my family through that state again, gas will stay under $3 and be forever abundant?