Japan Nuclear Reactor Meltdown

[Neytiri]

I am just 100% against nuclear power. Human beings are not (yet) morally mature enough to be able to handle something so dangerouss and volatile. Maturity may not even have anything to do with it in the end. Could this meltdown even have been prevented at all had all proper precautions been taken? In my own mind the mere existence of nuclear power is a human rights violation, due to it's worst nighmare implications, such as what is happening right now. Who has the right to build something so dangerous, that if its goes awry it will affect every last person on earth? Because it will. When Chernobyl happened it registered radiation in the United States and all over the world? Thoughts?

[Tsyal Makto]

Well, on the international scale (1-7) for nuclear accidents (forgot the acronym), it's currently registered as a 4, with Three Mile Island as a 5, and Chernobyl a 7. But of course that's liable to change. There's lots of conflicting reports in the media. Some are reporting that things are under control, some are saying that reactor 1 has melted down, and 3 might melt down soon.

When it comes down to it, nuclear power really isn't all that clean, or cheap. You ever heard that argument that solar panels and electric cars really aren't that environmentally friendly because of production wastes/pollution? It's the same for nuclear power. Thom Hartmann did a really good piece about nuclear power on his radio show on Friday. People really do not consider the expanded costs of nuclear power. Sure, it's costs per-kilowatt hour is cheap when all other costs are ignored, but when manufactoring costs (mining, refinement, waste storage, facility and infrastructure construction, etc) are factored, the plants really don't break even until about 15-or-so years into operation, which is about halfway through their lifetimes. Not to mention all the energy wasted, fossil fuels used, and pollution created from the aforementioned costs. Plus let's not forget how heated coolant water can reek havoc on local ecosystems.

[Emil]

Lets hope it doesnt turn any harmless lizards into 200 ft tall monsters.

[Neytiri]

Well, on the international scale (1-7) for nuclear accidents (forgot the acronym), it's currently registered as a 4, with Three Mile Island as a 5, and Chernobyl a 7. But of course that's liable to change. There's lots of conflicting reports in the media. Some are reporting that things are under control, some are saying that reactor 1 has melted down, and 3 might melt down soon.

When it comes down to it, nuclear power really isn't all that clean, or cheap. You ever heard that argument that solar panels and electric cars really aren't that environmentally friendly because of production wastes/pollution? It's the same for nuclear power. Thom Hartmann did a really good piece about nuclear power on his radio show on Friday. People really do not consider the expanded costs of nuclear power. Sure, it's costs per-kilowatt hour is cheap when all other costs are ignored, but when manufactoring costs (mining, refinement, waste storage, facility and infrastructure construction, etc) are factored, the plants really don't break even until about 15-or-so years into operation, which is about halfway through their lifetimes. Not to mention all the energy wasted, fossil fuels used, and pollution created from the aforementioned costs. Plus let's not forget how heated coolant water can reek havoc on local ecosystems.

Hi Tsyal,
I see you too are still hanging in here at Avatar Forums... I actually remember that a link you posted about a year ago is what first introduced me to Thom Hartmann, I think it was a link to a speech on how to communicate activist ideas better to people.... Yes, I agree that everything costs money, so if you're going to spend money regardless, don't you at least want to have a technology that is cleaner and doesn't put people's safety at such risk? Nuclear power interferes with the atom, the basic structure of matter. How wise is that, when we have so many other alternative energy technologies, just waiting to be used, but instead they are being suppressed by powerful interests... the world is just not what it should be at all...

[Eternal Enigma]

Nuclear power, hydrogen power, oil, natural gas, and ethanol are not the answer.

I’ve never heard of a catastrophic event caused by solar/wind technology.

See with nuclear power there are some very obvious dangers so I won’t go over that. You’re JUST talking about something that could kill every living thing on Earth so that should be the last resort when all else has failed. With hydrogen power the manufacture is basically creating a hydrogen bomb, which is also dangerous. You’re talking about something that could potentially kill millions of people if it suddenly exploded. The explosion would be similar to a nuclear blast. So each hydrogen station would have the ability to blow up a city block or two. Sounds like a great and more attainable target for terrorists. Not to mention the fact that taking water and removing elements changes the chemical makeup. Water is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. Scientists say that when you remove the hydrogen molecules you still have water, which is absolutely absurd. “Holy crap I just drained the bathtub, but it’s still full!” Once you remove the hydrogen it’s no longer water so eventually we would burn up all of our water to power our vehicles. Then you have the same thing with creating ethanol. What genetic mistake decided; “Hey let’s use our precious water and food to create fuel for our vehicles!” That doesn’t even almost sound like a good idea.

The best answer is solar/wind technology. We need fresh minds out there creating the batteries of tomorrow so this technology can really take off.

The United States needs to start building facilities to manufacture more solar panels and wind turbines. It would create jobs. Think of all the service jobs there could be. That’s a hundred million jobs waiting to be created. There’s a huge field with many opportunities just sitting there waiting. The solar/wind manufacturing plants that do exist in the United States have great sales numbers, but their sales are “98%” overseas. Americans aren’t getting the message. I talk to people all the time who still view solar/wind technology as a joke. Look… if one wind turbine can power a town of 20,000 people I don’t see that as a joke. If a few wind turbines can power a major city I don’t see that as a joke either. We could really be doing something big with this industry to change the world. I absolutely do not believe anyone is serious about “going green.” If we were it wouldn’t take long to get the necessary infrastructure ready. I’d say it could possibly take five years for the United States to get up and going on solar/wind. With each city and town generating its own electivity independently it would eliminate mass blackouts or “rolling” blackouts. The grid could be maintained more easily by being spread out into individual independent sectors. Not to mention if each house went “standalone” yeah that’s right each home generating its own energy and using it as it needs it. That would eliminate the need for poles and wires stretched everywhere. Telephone poles are hazards by their self. To weather proof them they’re dipped in creosote, which has been investigated in the past for possibly causing cancer and many other health issues that also include death.

Right now the safest cleanest energy is solar wind technology. Everything else is either in danger of running out or it’s too dangerous to make. We should be utilizing the sun and wind. Advancements in battery technology will make this the most viable solution. The alternative energy is here… we should be looking for alternative ways of storing that energy. You aren’t going to find the answer drilling for natural gas or thinking up what food or other valuable resources we can use up.

If I was the guy who initially heard the idea to use our food as fuel… the person who came up with that proposal would be serving a life sentence in a state mental institution. That is one insane idea that seriously threatens the lives of billions of people.

I’m sorry I went off ranting a bit I just get so aggravated with this subject. I needed to vent so I hope it didn't go too far off topic.

[Spock]

Its not so much a human problem this time but rather the result of an environmental catastrophe, something that has already caused more damage than what the possible nuclear disaster is likely to inflict. Besides that point nuclear power 'isn't' renewable and that in itself should be enough to scrap it.

Anyway, good to see you around Neytiri.

[Aihwa]

Japan has some of the strictest building codes in the world, the fact that the reactor didn't detonate is testament to that.


Natural disasters tend to cause harm. Just so you're aware.

[SpacePhoenix]

Renewable energy will not work in the long term, as it isn't reliable enough, you still have to have a conventional (non-renewable) energy source as a backup, running all the time. Some do just as much damage to the environment (bio fuels) as what they replace. I read somewhere (can't remember where) that mass battery storage isn't an option due to the amount of lithium available around the world.

[Neytiri]

Its not so much a human problem this time but rather the result of an environmental catastrophe, something that has already caused more damage than what the possible nuclear disaster is likely to inflict. Besides that point nuclear power 'isn't' renewable and that in itself should be enough to scrap it.

Anyway, good to see you around Neytiri.

Hi again, Spock. It's hard to leave this place!!

See the thing is if we aren't smart enough to foresee that in a possible disaster (and here we're talking about Japan a country in the Ring of Fire notorious for earthquakes), this nuclear plant will go kablooey, then I don't even know why we were given brains. Anyone with half a brain should have foreseen that a nuclear power plant can spell holocaust in case of natural disaster, especially in earthquake prone areas.

[Sanjwale]

I am just 100% against nuclear power. Human beings are not (yet) morally mature enough to be able to handle something so dangerouss and volatile. Maturity may not even have anything to do with it in the end. Could this meltdown even have been prevented at all had all proper precautions been taken? In my own mind the mere existence of nuclear power is a human rights violation, due to it's worst nighmare implications, such as what is happening right now. Who has the right to build something so dangerous, that if its goes awry it will affect every last person on earth? Because it will. When Chernobyl happened it registered radiation in the United States and all over the world? Thoughts?

agree with neytiri, (ohh nice name )

if you use it you need to put it away for atleast thousand of years before it isn't dangerous anymore. and when it comes free there are almost sure innonecent people involved.
maybe if it will explode it is a good lesson.

about the people who work there i don't have a problem, only the innocent people and animals.