Nuclear Power Plants ... do we need them ?

[Sharky]

Actually we already found the best solution for nuclear wastes. We send them in france, when they make this uranium/plutonium mix that can power the nuclear plants again.
Too bad plutonium is the worst polluting stuff on hearth, in fact it doesn't exist in nature, has a decayng rate of thousands years and one microgram (1/1000000 of a gram) kills an human. A nuclear plant needs several kilograms of it.
Worst fear at fukushima in fact is the reactor 3 that goes on plutonium, if plutonium spread outside the plant, the sorrounding area will be heavily contamined for thousands of years.
And since uranium is becoming more and more expensive, more reactors will go with plutonium in the next years, they are the best way to recycle nuclear wastes...

Are you guys really sure we want to live with that risk?
It Is really necessary to consume all this energy and produce more and more of this useless junk that will become garbage in some years becouse of obsolescence/planned breackouts?
I'd say yes, it's necessary with this economy, and surely we will not find cheap alternatives to oil and nuclear (that grants huge profits to few peoples) but i think we should start to think about something better then that.

[EponiCo]

That's the point. As far as I know noone has a viable, cost efficient solution for your "proper storage" yet. The approach now is to tempory put it somewhere and wait until we come up with a good way in the future. Here in Germany we had an huge scandal with an experimental permanent waste storage that failed(and was tried to kept hidden from the news) and we normally go chocolate chip cookie about security and safety. I don't even wanna now what went wrong and never surfaced to the news in less finical countries(basicly the rest of the world).

Yeah, you are right but that's mostly a manmade problem imo. Those sites were used even if the risk were well known afaik. Like the genius move to build a nuclear power plant on earthquake island. About cost effective, well, considering how cheap power is and how much we waste, that's the real problem.
Now if power was more expensive we could probably go all solar (which I'd have no problem with) but the fossil power sources (and some renewables I'm sure) are just putting it on the long bank as well with emissions. What's worse I can't say, but atm we only have a choice between two evils.

[Banok]

Yes, they're a "clean" source of energy, produce almost no pollution.

this. 90% of people assume nuclear power is BAD, and have no clue about it.

for instance "green is the answer"

nuclear power is GREEN, perfect example of general ignorance.

[cmp]

nuclear power is GREEN, perfect example of general ignorance.

Glowing green.

[Pdogg5954]

Do we need them?

Yes, especially if new alternatives are not found soon.  Hydro and wind power will probably never be able to be practical as a primary source of energy.  Nuclear, gerothermal, and solar seem to be the way forward.

With the installation of the first fusion plant in France maybe our problems will be solved sooner than we think.

[Felagunda]

With the installation of the first fusion plant in France maybe our problems will be solved sooner than we think.

Sounds awesome can you give me a link about this I'd love to read I thought fusion was never going to happen.

[Grey]

You must keep in mind that America Agri industy pretty much feeds the world we export so much food.

Not true. American produce does not pass EU standards, we dont buy it, sorry. There is insufficient GM legislation is US, and the price of shipping south american produce and then decontam it to remove chemical residue, the price is ridiculous. So not pretty much the world.

I know for sure Africa isnt importing anything from anyone but the chinese, so not much world is fed by american agri industry. Hell, I never said the US burns oil for power on a huge scale, it doesnt, it imports more electricity than it produces from oil. But, they could easily go self sufficient on ethanol, but the US goverment subsidises the farmers NOT to grow any. Huge quantities of US produce are bought up BY the goverment and goes nowhere.....

But thats besides the point, my point being:

WE DONT need nuke power, but we dont have a choice, the descition to use it has been made FOR us, by some old fat rich white men in an office.

[Noctivagant]

Maybe the generation who know nothing of the Cold War are growing up with a different perspective on radiation?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12785274

[Felagunda]

WE DONT need nuke power, but we dont have a choice, the descition to use it has been made FOR us, by some old fat rich white men in an office.

AT least is something we can agree one

[cmp]

Maybe the generation who know nothing of the Cold War are growing up with a different perspective on radiation?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12785274

Next step:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rci3ElYLs4U

[Gorath]

Voluntary Matrix-style bio-energy.  Would solve overpopulation issue by confining many people to very small amounts of space so there's more space for the non-matrix people.  Would solve the food shortage issue the world will be facing in the near near future (seriously, do the research.  We are billions of people over the occupacy limit of the planet's capability to sustain us perpetually and we're only breeding faster) because of liquifying the dead and feeding it IV style to the matrix pod-people.  Would solve the lack of employment issue the planet faces.

And it would solve the boredom issue most of us face in the world by allowing us to exist in virtual realities where we can do whatever the fuck we want.

It's win/win/win.  I'd not only sign up, but bring my own drill with a shaved head ready for implanting.

[Fluffy_Muffin]

(click to show/hide)

Voluntary Matrix-style bio-energy.  Would solve overpopulation issue by confining many people to very small amounts of space so there's more space for the non-matrix people.  Would solve the food shortage issue the world will be facing in the near near future (seriously, do the research.  We are billions of people over the occupacy limit of the planet's capability to sustain us perpetually and we're only breeding faster) because of liquifying the dead and feeding it IV style to the matrix pod-people.  Would solve the lack of employment issue the planet faces.

And it would solve the boredom issue most of us face in the world by allowing us to exist in virtual realities where we can do whatever the fuck we want.

It's win/win/win.  I'd not only sign up, but bring my own drill with a shaved head ready for implanting.

So i can actualy live in Cprg? Awesome sign me up