7 Top NRC Experts Break Ranks

[Ksheed]

Disclaimer: I'm just posting the article for information purposes and to possibly start a friendly debate....

http://ecowatch.com/2016/03/09/nrc-experts-warn-dangers-nuclear/

[Higgs]

If we're the self critical industry that we purport to be, then we should admit the vulnerability and make the corrections.

One could argue that the Fukushima response was an overreaction and unnecessary, but this is a real vulnerability and it should be addressed.

[Higgs]

The article in the OP, however, is clearly anti nuke, but that doesn't take away from the real issue.

[Higgs]

I thought the first comment was well said.


"The Legacy Light Water Reactors will be operating for the next decade (at least).
Nothing will change this. They have been paid for for decades. Funds have been set aside for the spent fuel that is safely stored at the complexes in great big steel and concrete casks (Wikapedia: Spent Nuclear Fuel Casks). To close all 99 reactor complexes will require the replacement of 20% of the total United States Electrical Generation Production (this is a huge amount of electricity, go see for yourself on Wikipeadia or the Energy Information Agency). There will be a dozen or so LWR's that will go into shut down and decommissioning in the next few years. The machines are getting old but they have been well taken care of. They have produced 20% of US electical production for 30 plus years all fossil carbon free and with no radiation deaths for plant workers or neighbors.
This is a fact.
If there are deaths to your knowledge Mr Wasserman, could you name the victims because surely, there would have been criminal charges for the operators brought to the court for trial and civil law suites yes? You would have know about any cases by now and we would know the names from your articles yes? You see dear reader, radiation leave a footprint in tissues. There are tell tail physiological traces that are evidence of exposure and irradiation. Also, remember this; radionuclides broadcast were they are to the atom. they are detectable with relatively inexpensive equipment and some very expensive equipment can identify the source. Do your homework. Atomic energy has a 60 year history that is well documented. Study up on what you are against please, I did and it changed my thinking on nuclear power from an opponent to a knowledgeable advocate.

The New Reactors of the Second Atomic Age are going to be powering up in two years. China, Canada, Korea, UAE, Finland, South Africa are some of the contries that are powering up with advanced fission (the list is getting longer too, go to the IAEA.org to find out more). Generation Four Fission Reactors will use spent nuclear fuel for fissioning to produce heat. Heat can make vapor to spin a turbine to make electricity. The left over heat can be used again to DESALINATE ocean water into drinking water to supply humans and irrigate the land. We need to pull carbon out of the atmosphere by growing biomass like trees, and algae and turn sunlight, nutrients and water into forest. Forests fix carbon into the soil. We can develop deserts into black carbon rich living soils abundant with microbial life and nutrients. With nuclear powered electrical production and waste heat utilized for DESALINIZATION it is possible to permaculture engineer the Sahara Dessert ing the Sahara Forest.

All 7 billion current residents of Planet Earth can be living healthy vibrant lives if we had cheap clean water and plenty of electricity. Solar Wind and Water energy collection methods take time and vast amounts of concrete, steel, rare earth elements, copper, silicon and energy to build. Much of the energy will come from fossil fuels without nuclear power to cover some of the energy needed for material mining, refining, manufacturing, distribution and maintainance. Also note, the M.Z.Jacobson (Stanford) WWS Only by 2050 Plan will take one Trillion dollars (by his estimate). Do we have enough time? Closing the existing plants before they have finished their operation periods will cause fossil fuels to make up the difference. Closing 20% of US electrical production as Mr. Wasserman wishes will require all WWS production for a decade or two just to replace the lost megawatts from the shuttered and switched off generators. Does anyone doubt that voters will demand opening up clased coal mines and restarting closed coal buners and require more gas plants to be built? Wake up and stop dreaming this anti-nuke fantasy. If you really want carbon free electricity, nuclear power must be in the mix. www.pandoraspromise.com"