Caxton, Chernobyl = "very small problems with nuclear this or that"? I'd hate to see the big ones. The silly nuclear industry also used to give statistics of accident possibility being 1 in 10 000 years. It seemed to escape their notice that there are human inspired events called wars which happen about 1 in 100 years. At times of conflict, people with big handgrenades aim at things like bridges, airports, arms factories and guess what else they like to make go bang. Yep, power stations.
If you blow up a coal burning steam engine, all you get is lights out. If you blow up a fusion reactor, you get hot rain. Which stays hot for a long time. Of course, it's an ill wind that blows nobody good and such an area could be a recreation area for those needing radiation treatment. But the neighbors might not like it.
Does the nuclear industry deposit the billions of dollars needed for decommissioning in a trust fund, held by the government, before starting construction or perhaps they will walk away at the end, going bust and leaving taxpayers to clean up?
Also, you said: "...any problems that could come up can be detected years in advance of any required actions before safety would be at risk". Oh good, so people like Saddam and Terry Nichols will send a postcard before they initiate any action against a nuclear power station.
This is not to say I don't favor nuclear power stations, just that they are not the billion to one safe as houses free power supply they were once thought to be by some people.
Mqurice |
