Lets face it folks; Pro-Nuke and No-Nuke parties will continue to fight a
emotional battle not a technical one. Yes I work in the Nuke Field, Yes I
have been responsible for the burial of thousands of tons of radioactive
waste, and Yes I have a small amounts of some of the nastier isotopes inside
me. Nuclear power can be a clean and efficient power source. Regulations
are created from what-if scenarios that are asked by politicians and
citizens alike. We the people created nuclear power (not space aliens or
Mr. Spock) and we have to solve the problems of disposal of the waste. Not
only waste from the power plants, but medical wastes, fuel cycle wastes and
waste from all the other uses of these great unstable isotopes.
NIMBY is BS and so is protest. Push on the politicians in a manner that is
not confrontational but responsible. We must all accept some of the
responsibility. The DOE and NRC, ARE looking for the best technology to
store and ultimately eliminate the waste form both govt and civilian
sources. Accept that there are possible ends and accept the fact that we
all helped create the problem. We are all consumers, and to insure
production of goods and the protection to use them we need electricity and
heat. We the people of the world created this power source now help to
manage it.
The media has provided the ignorant with words to get angry about but the
media has never educated the public about what really is happening. Words
like radiation and contamination are often incorrectly used. Readers Digest
version for those who are unsure: Radiation - energy in the form of waves
or particles that is emitted from an unstable isotope. Contamination -
Finely divided radioactive material in an undesired location. Ask a
professional Health Physicist for detailed definitions.
Burial of spent fuel. It exists now lets figure out where to put it. first
lets ask what you would rather do with these extremely high sources of
radiation. Not in your back-yard, thats smart nobody really wants to dose
you up anyway. In the basement of the kindergarten down the road, naw that
could get embarrassing. In a salt cavern below the desert. Well its not a
back yard, nobody ever vacations down there and its a relatively stable
place that can be monitored. Your choice
Other sources of energy are out there. Fossil fuels are limited and the Btu
output per unit of fuel is lousy. Wave and solar are viable and for those
of you who keep saying that the energy conglomerates and governments are out
to stop these, how come there are so many solar success stories. Have you
personally tried it, no well shut up then. If governments and corporations
were out to stop inventors, how come we all know about sterling engines and
fuel cell technology. Come on Ginger
People of the third world cook food over cow dung because its a great heat
source thats plentiful. Throw out your microwave and give it a try.
Coal fired power plants emit more uncontrolled radioactive particles out the
stacks than nuclear power plants release. Sad but true. The combustion of
fossil fuels also produces carcinogens. You could get hit by a bus, or shot
in a drive by.
Earlier in this thread someone mentioned that plutonium supply is limited.
BS it keeps ticking, doesn't occur anywhere naturally (yes its man-made),
and produces lots of energy.
Use low wattage bulbs, recycle, don't get emotional and protest (nobody
listens to a raving idiot anyway), get educated, do something smart.
Oh and what Marin said about Kids, that too.
Hurricane Mitch
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon Apr 09 2001 - 01:24:29 EDT