4 ms·

The problem with nukes is the required long-term storage of the byproducts. Ask the people who live near the salt mines in New Mexico.

• joggery 10y ago
  No thanks! Once we've stabilised the climate, which is more urgent, then we can deal with (legacy) waste problems. Besides, not an issue with technology under development like thorium and the many fusion projects which I hope we all support.
• shiny 10y ago
  There are reactor designs that leave virtually no waste, and can actually consume existing nuclear waste stockpiles. Check out the LFTR [1], for one. Thiel is a big Thorium fan, not sure if he will whisper that in Trump's ear. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_fluoride_thorium_reactor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_fluoride_thorium_reacto...
• giardini 10y ago
  Yep. I once believed that salt mines were a perfect storage place for environmental/nuclear crap. That is, until I read "Salt: A World History" by Mark Kurlansky https://www.amazon.com/Salt-World-History-Mark-Kurlansky/dp/0142001619 https://www.amazon.com/Salt-World-History-Mark-Kurlansky/dp/... British towns in the 19th century collapsed when salt miners removed subterranean salt by pumping water in and brine out: https://www.google.com/search?q=salt+mining+in+19th+century+collapse&tbm=isch&sa=G&hl=en&gbv=1&sei=nEAnWNqpB8TUmwGDiIS4Bg https://www.google.com/search?q=salt+mining+in+19th+century+... Here's a nice picture(scroll down to see the leaning houses): http://nbgecko.blogspot.com/2012/10/wadihs-weekend-part-2.html http://nbgecko.blogspot.com/2012/10/wadihs-weekend-part-2.ht... Turns out that if you pour water into a salt deposit, dissolve the salt and pump out the brine, the terrain above may collapse (salt columns were supporting it). Any remaining brine not pumped to the surface may travel who-knows-where underground to dissolve other salt deposits. England went through decades of lawsuits and legislation wherein landowners cried for recompense of their collapsed lands from salt producers. The salt producers claimed it wasn't their mining that caused the collapses and the landowners usually lost. Fast forward to oil/gas fracking in Texas, Oklahoma and other states: most gas/oil deposits are under salt domes. Fracking injects water (and other chemicals) into the subterranean structures, the salt dissolves and the oil/gas is freed to rise. As in England, the brine that is not removed is free to travel miles underground, removing structure that has lain dormant for eons and collapsing the land above. But fracking also uses chemicals, not merely brine, and so the chance of pollution (esp. of water wells) is increased. The frackers say it does no harm. But funny sounds are coming from below and fracking chemicals are showing up in places (e.g., water wells) where they are not wanted: https://www.google.com/search?q=fracking+chemicals+migrate&btnG=Search&hl=en https://www.google.com/search?q=fracking+chemicals+migrate&b...
  • selimthegrim 10y ago
    One famous most recent case: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayou_Corne_sinkhole https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayou_Corne_sinkhole