why do people suddenly fear nuclear power plants?

[Wolfenbarg]

it may be reasonable to be worried about nuclear powerplants bulit on faultlines.

any building built near faultlines is designed to withstand quakes (although this quake was a exception, the biggest one in a long time)
also people are protesting against EVERY nuclear powerplant

Are you kidding? Tokyo practically sits right on top of three converging fault lines. There's a reason most quakes in the world happen near Japan. I'm all for nuclear power, but not in that sort of situation. You do realize that the damage is forcing them to vent radiated steam at regular intervals, right? If the winds change and that steam doesn't blow out to sea, the locals may never get a chance to return to their homes. They're already not likely to go home for months. Japan is the worst possible place to house reactors.

 

[Irridium]

Referring to the safeties, of course. I also admitted that there was no way to prep for something like that, therefore we need to begin prepping for disasters that are this bad. Notably, this quake actually wasn't that bad. These things need to be able to withstand shit like this. Otherwise, as I said, when these things screw up, which is rare, they screw up big. Therefore, we should make sure that the likely-hood of this happening is minimized.

Which is what they're going to do. The current chance of a modern plant going into total meltdown and spewing radiation everywhere is so unbelievably low its practically impossible. In Japan, the only thing they need to worry about are quakes and Tsunamis. Which is what the plants are already built to withstand, and will be upgraded to withstand stronger ones.

 

[Freshman]

The general public is retarded so whenever they hear the word "nuclear" they freak out. /thread

...Although after that whole Chernobyl thing I can see how the Russian public can be more scared than other publics

 

[OtherSideofSky]

Most people freak out about nuclear power because they're completely uneducated about how it works and equate it with either Chernobyl (a type of incident which simply CAN NOT HAPPEN using a modern reactor) or with nuclear bombs (even more ludicrous, not even Chernobyl could have exploded like one of those). Particularly in America, where nuclear power is relatively rare, sensationalist politicians and media have been exploiting and entrenching this kind of fear for a long time.

 

[Max_imus]

The general public is retarded so whenever they hear the word "nuclear" they freak out. /thread

...Although after that whole Chernobyl thing I can see how the Russian public can be more scared than other publics

That would rather be the Ukrainean public, don't you think? Along with almost every nation in Eastern Europe, Central Europe and Scandinavia.
I think after what happened, the public over here has a right to be sceptical about nuclear power and its safety.

 

[SturmDolch]

I think they're a great idea if there is a proper way of handling the waste and containing radiation and all that.

But building one on a fault line in an area prone to earthquakes?

 

[Schmittler]

The difference is, however, that those could be rebuilt. What happened after 9/11 or any other similar example can still be inhabited. If we have say, 2 more extreme nuclear meltdowns, those are two more spots that could be forever irradiated.

The minor issue that not every reactor is Chernobyl and such a meltdown would be utterly impossible at this point appears to have escaped your attention. At most there may be two partial meltdowns which ruin the reactors and increase the local radiation levels above background for a while. It'd be far worse for you living in Hiroshima (you know, where people do live) or on top of a granite deposit (ditto).

Notice how I said could be. I'm not saying that something like Chernobyl is going to be a likely occurrence, but I do believe that there is some danger in just implementing thousands upon thousands of nuclear reactors. You honestly believe that there is no possible chance of a large nuclear disaster to occur again? Obviously technology and knowledge has come a long way since then, but I'm still going to be skeptical that there's no possibility of a major screw up. Shit happens, literally. Putting immense faith in the human population to get something right 100% of the time is a lot to ask.

You're right, I agree, there is not a very good chance of this happening, but utterly impossible is something that I would be hesitant to say. The more nuclear reactors that sprout up, the more chance there is that there could be minor disasters or even major ones.

That said, I would still likely be in favor of nuclear reactors being more widespread, but caution is something that should be practiced, regardless of how impossible one might think it is.

 

[Bakuryukun]

I recently saw in the news that people in Russia demonstrated against nuclear power plants after they heard that three Japanese power plants where going critical. I personally think its stupid to protest against them because stuff like this only happens in extreme situations (a earthquake like this doesn't happen often and buildings are designed to resist quakes)
discuss

Recently feared them? People have feared them since Chernobyl, and probably even before.

 

[Canid117]

I just felt like posting that.

 

[LikeDustInTheWind]

People are saying Chernobyl is exactly what will happen if a problem happens in a plant. If you know the whole story of the several mistakes made that caused the accident, you would know that it's really the "exception that proves the rule."

 

[LikeDustInTheWind]

People are saying Chernobyl is exactly what will happen if a problem happens in a plant. If you know the whole story of the several mistakes made that caused the accident, you would know that it's really the "exception that proves the rule."

 

[AlohaJo]

Nuclear plants can't explode. It's just not possible.

And the reason people are freaking out is because they don't understand how hard it is for a meltdown to occur. On top of that, the media will always jump on a chance to cause fear because it creates more news, which in turn gives them more stories to report. It's a vicious circle, and a rather sickening practice (it's also why I refuse to read, watch, or listen to the news). All these protests will end when people finally pull their heads out of the sand and actually go and attempt to learn about things that they don't fully understand.

That being said, the Japan incident was indeed a close call, bu because of the numerous safeguards, they were able to keep everything under control, and they still do have it under control. There really isn't anything to fear...But let the protesters have their way; they'll find themselves in a quandary when a good 70-80% of the power just doesn't exist anymore.

 

[sean360h]

but there are a ton of nuclear plants in japan (around 60 right now I think)

There are around 60 nuclear reactors. There are 18 nuclear plants.

it just takes one plant melting down to put all the others in danger through a chain reaction that could not only leave all of japan uninhabitable

That is BS. Meltdowns do not spread from plant to plant.

Um...yes they do?

If you have 3 plants within a 5 mile radius and one melts down (while all three are damaged in some way and need human interaction to prevent a meltdown) it is quite likely that all three will melt down. It of course depends on the level of damage, size of the hydrogen explosions when the plant melts down, the level of radiation being leaked etc, but I would say it is indeed quite likely that multiple plants would melt down within a certain radius.

Has it happened? Nope, but it certainly could.

you assume the explosion is going to damage the reactor this is wrong, the core itself is EXTREMELY well protected (in theory you could crash a plane into it and it wouldn't even scratch the concrete dome)

your totally right see this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR0f8n10DR4 btw i dont really know how to embed vids

 

[floppylobster]

Let's do math.

(deaths caused by mining accidents per year + deaths precipitated by pollution per year) /
nuclear-related deaths per PAST FORTY YEARS
= UNDEFINED BECAUSE THE DENOMINATOR IS ZERO

HOW TO

Coal:
1. Rape land to get coal. Miners die.
2. Spend a shitload of money to transport massive shitloads of the shit.
3. Rape air to burn coal. Everyone is now sick.

Nuclear:
1. You already have the uranium.
2. Pay to have it mailed.
3. POWER EVERYTHING FOR EVER
4. Earth cries radioactive tears of joy.

RISKS

Nuclear:
1. Nuclear waste. Actually it's fine, shut up.
2. Meltdown. Thousands die. Pff, if you're TERRIBLE. Also nuclear power is discredited for decades.

Water:
1. Dam bursts. Thousands die. This is known as a "whoopsie". Nobody cares.

Wind:
1. Actually manages to kill people by, like, losing blades and throwing ice and shit. It's like 300 people ever.

Coal:
HA HA HA OH MAN

There is one major thing youve forgot to take into consideration: The fear regarding THE WAY you die. To slowly die of radiation poisoning makes people go "oh noes!" compared to coal and water. Slowly dying of lung cancer, getting crushed to death and drowning are actually a lot less frightening than radiation poisoning for people, because, well, we see it on a daily basis.

Irrational fear is what keeps nuclear power from taking over. And untill radiation poisoning becomes easily curable or something we read about in the news every day, nuclear power will just be a side project.

or we get a leader who is not a pussy and says "were doing this now , protesters were ignoring you now, either turn off your power or STFU"

Sounds like you want to live in Russia then -


"- India announced a review of all nuclear reactors in the country in view of the Japanese radiation leak. India has 20 nuclear power plants, mostly located along the coast.

- Germany's coalition government has suspended an agreement prolonging the life of the nation's nuclear power stations, Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

- The Swiss government suspended plans to replace and build new nuclear plants pending a review of the two hydrogen explosions at Japanese plants.

- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Russia would not change ambitious plans to build dozens of nuclear power stations in coming decades."

 

[Jegsimmons]

well, i live in an area with tons of nuc plants, and let me say, they are pretty damn safe.

japan suffered earthquakes, tsunamis, and now a fucking volcano. whats happening to the power plants was unpredictable.

but if anyone thinks about it, nuclear power is one of the best ways to get power, it has very little environmental hazards, and produces a huge amount of energy. the only negative (besides meltdowns) is that the waste has to be sealed in like 5 feet of concrete and buried for 1000 years (whoopde doo, thats like what? a hundred yards of no digging zone?)

the only other options for power is either fossil fuels (which im fine with because global warming is bull), hydro electric which is fine but limits you towards water.
solar isnt efficient enough and probably wont be for wide spread power

 

[Gaming King]

I'm completely neutral on nuclear power.

 

[Andy03]

The main problem with the reactor at Japan was the backup generators went out when the tsunami hit. My ignorant moral of the day, find a better way to maintain those backup generators.

 

[Freshman]

The general public is retarded so whenever they hear the word "nuclear" they freak out. /thread

...Although after that whole Chernobyl thing I can see how the Russian public can be more scared than other publics

That would rather be the Ukrainean public, don't you think? Along with almost every nation in Eastern Europe, Central Europe and Scandinavia.
I think after what happened, the public over here has a right to be sceptical about nuclear power and its safety.

Yea, I don't know my locations of historic events very well. And probably, the old soviet union wasn't exactly know for making reliable nuclear (insert noun here)...

 

[Iron Lightning]

why do people suddenly fear nuclear power plants?

It's really quite simple: the recent Japanese tsunami totally destroyed a couple incompetently built power plants. They were incompetently built, they had seawalls for just this sort of thing but they weren't tall enough. Solution: in the future design for the very worst case scenarios.

The other problem is that people are generally afraid of things that can kill them if something goes wrong, still doesn't stop them from driving twice-a-day though.

 

[roostuf]

One word, Chernobyl.