Nuclear Power Plants
I have written several times about Nuclear Power and I am still amazed at the articles and discussions that I read on how this form of power production is being pushed as a means of reducing carbon emissions and thus, should be pushed forward. More amazing is the logic that we should go forward with Nuclear Power in spite of the risks associated with its use.
As I have stated before, I am not overly concerned about the safe running of a nuclear power plant in the United States. I have had the privilege of seeing nuclear power plants in operation and I have a high level of confidence in their operational safety. It is the long term safety issues that concerns me.
No one has adequately addressed issues regarding nuclear waste storage or safety. No one has adequately addressed the issues of subsidies by taxpayers that are more than 60 years old.
I do hear about the unfair subsidies for clean energy sources and conservation…but let me sum up this way.
If a solar field is subsidized, it is still catching up to a century of subsidies for fossil fuels and decades of subsidies for nuclear.
If a solar field, dam or windmill fails, the result is a short term and localized disaster. If a nuclear power plant, or nuclear waste is let loose, well, we know the result.
This new found love for nuclear power is a misplaced affection that will cost all of us for thousands of years to come. It simply does not pass the test for sustainability.
I do hope this is the last time it comes up, but I doubt it.
Read the full article:
Nuclear Plants, Despite Safety Concerns, Gain Support as Clean Energy Sources
Limited free access; NY Times subscription may be required.