With utilities in Texas about to undertake massive new build of coal-fired power plants, some folks in the state are giving nuclear energy a second look:
Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, TXU, Texas
Broadly speaking, the environmental community remains opposed to the construction and operation of nuclear plants. Environmentalists say uranium mining can pollute groundwater, and they fear the possibility of a catastrophic accident. They also are dissatisfied with the disposal methods for radioactive waste.As we've already reported, TXU is thinking the same thing.
But as the effort to stop global climate change leapfrogs to the top of most environmentalists' agenda, some say they are re-examining their opposition to the plants, which emit little in the way of greenhouse gases.
"We're looking at it again," said Jim Marston, who heads the Austin office of Environmental Defense.
Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, TXU, Texas
Comments
If nuclear is cost-effective with normal insurance, then we can start talking about police-states
Coal wastes dont need guards with machineguns for (10 half lives?) 270,000 years.
Nuclear wastes don't need huge security once they're in the ground. Coal wastes however have a track record of killing people.
After the repository is full it is sealed and requires no guarding or maintenance what so ever, no more than uranium ore deep down in the ground require guards.
If you are interested in learning something about dealing with spent fuel, read this article:
http://www.eurotrib.com/story/2006/8/13/184016/739
The nuclear industry can pay for a worst-case scenario (Three Mile Island) a year, not that it will ever be necessary.
No we don't need machine guns to guard coal emissions because we simply allow the waste to go into the air, killing 25,000 people a year in the U.S. alone. Or for a more concrete example, take a look at China, which loses 5000 coal miners in a good year, so to speak.
By the way, the 270,000 year number is just meaningless.