Philosophy
Perhaps the political proponents, like John McCain, and those that believe that nuclear power plants [fission] are part of the answer to the American energy issues should take some time and read the following free book.
"Italians have not been able to protect Renaissance art treasures for even as long as one thousand years. Egyptians have not been able to protect the tombs of the Pharaohs for even as long as four thousand years, and some of the graves were looted within centuries. Yet, we in this generation have an obligation to protect our nuclear wastes for more than ten thousand years—a period longer than recorded history.
It is ironic that we have been civilized for only about 10,000 years, yet we face the task of protecting high-level radwastes, a dangerous and "massive source of potentially valuable energy," in perpetuity. We face the task of storing radionuclides such as plutonium, which has a half-life of 24,000 years, but remains dangerous for more than 250,000 years. We have been separated from the apes for only about 5 million years, yet we face the task of safeguarding iodine-129, which has a half-life of 16 million years but remains dangerous for more than 160 million years. We in the United States have been a nation for only about 200 years, yet we face the task of storing technetium-99 having a half-life of 200,000 years. Given the short span of our experience in handling these materials, how can we deal adequately with long-lived radioactive waste?"
Burying Uncertainty: Risk and the Case against Geological Disposal of Nuclear Waste
by
K. S. Shrader-Frechette
Go to...
- Do You Believe This About Nuclear Power?
From American Nuclear Society... Myth #1: Americans get most of their yearly radiation dose from nuclear power plants. Truth: We are surrounded by naturally occurring radiation. Only 0.005% of the average American's yearly radiation dose comes...
- Nuclear Waste--still A Problem
"Nuclear waste piles up, and it's costing taxpayers billions" The Bush administration agreed to store nuclear waste from 21 new reactors. But the federal government still can't meet its commitment to find permanent storage. by Mark Clayton March...
- Obama Says...yucca Mountain Out
"Good Riddance, Yucca Mountain" Obama pulls the plug on the nuclear industry's last best hope. by Timothy Noah March 3rd, 2009 Slate We've seen a lot of hyperbole lately about the significance of a presidency that's all of six weeks old....
- Thorium For Reactors?
Shippingport nuclear power plant The first large-scale nuclear powerplant in the world began operating in Shippingport, Pennsylvania, on December 2, 1957--exactly 15 years after Enrico Fermi demonstrated the first sustained nuclear reaction. The Duquesne...
- Natural Nuclear Reactor--oklo
Oklo: Natural Nuclear Reactors Creating a nuclear reaction is not simple. In power plants, it involves splitting uranium atoms, and that process releases energy as heat and neutrons that go on to cause other atoms to split. This splitting process is...
Philosophy
Nuclear waste
Perhaps the political proponents, like John McCain, and those that believe that nuclear power plants [fission] are part of the answer to the American energy issues should take some time and read the following free book.
"Italians have not been able to protect Renaissance art treasures for even as long as one thousand years. Egyptians have not been able to protect the tombs of the Pharaohs for even as long as four thousand years, and some of the graves were looted within centuries. Yet, we in this generation have an obligation to protect our nuclear wastes for more than ten thousand years—a period longer than recorded history.
It is ironic that we have been civilized for only about 10,000 years, yet we face the task of protecting high-level radwastes, a dangerous and "massive source of potentially valuable energy," in perpetuity. We face the task of storing radionuclides such as plutonium, which has a half-life of 24,000 years, but remains dangerous for more than 250,000 years. We have been separated from the apes for only about 5 million years, yet we face the task of safeguarding iodine-129, which has a half-life of 16 million years but remains dangerous for more than 160 million years. We in the United States have been a nation for only about 200 years, yet we face the task of storing technetium-99 having a half-life of 200,000 years. Given the short span of our experience in handling these materials, how can we deal adequately with long-lived radioactive waste?"
Burying Uncertainty: Risk and the Case against Geological Disposal of Nuclear Waste
by
K. S. Shrader-Frechette
Go to...
- Do You Believe This About Nuclear Power?
From American Nuclear Society... Myth #1: Americans get most of their yearly radiation dose from nuclear power plants. Truth: We are surrounded by naturally occurring radiation. Only 0.005% of the average American's yearly radiation dose comes...
- Nuclear Waste--still A Problem
"Nuclear waste piles up, and it's costing taxpayers billions" The Bush administration agreed to store nuclear waste from 21 new reactors. But the federal government still can't meet its commitment to find permanent storage. by Mark Clayton March...
- Obama Says...yucca Mountain Out
"Good Riddance, Yucca Mountain" Obama pulls the plug on the nuclear industry's last best hope. by Timothy Noah March 3rd, 2009 Slate We've seen a lot of hyperbole lately about the significance of a presidency that's all of six weeks old....
- Thorium For Reactors?
Shippingport nuclear power plant The first large-scale nuclear powerplant in the world began operating in Shippingport, Pennsylvania, on December 2, 1957--exactly 15 years after Enrico Fermi demonstrated the first sustained nuclear reaction. The Duquesne...
- Natural Nuclear Reactor--oklo
Oklo: Natural Nuclear Reactors Creating a nuclear reaction is not simple. In power plants, it involves splitting uranium atoms, and that process releases energy as heat and neutrons that go on to cause other atoms to split. This splitting process is...