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In terms of the waste, right now nuclear waste can and should be recycled which would reduce the amount of waste: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_wast

by opo 6y ago

In terms of the waste, right now nuclear waste can and should be recycled which would reduce the amount of waste: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_waste https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_waste Soon it will be possible to use most of the waste as fuel: "...Fast reactors can "burn" long lasting nuclear transuranic waste (TRU) waste components (actinides: reactor-grade plutonium and minor actinides), turning liabilities into assets. Another major waste component, fission products (FP), would stabilize at a lower level of radioactivity than the original natural uranium ore it was attained from in two to four centuries, rather than tens of thousands of years" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integral_fast_reactor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integral_fast_reactor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_IV_reactor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_IV_reactor While there are issues with nuclear power, the worry people have about nuclear waste is greatly overblown to say the least. The amounts generated are manageable and in a relatively short amount of time we can use most of this "waste" to generate electricity.

LargoLasskhyfv 6y ago
Sounds good in theory. But in reality the fuel rods need to be mechanically separated from their cladding, which is brittle, irradiated and whatnot else. Then chemical reprocessing of the fuel itself, and reassambly into whichever form is necessary. It's not like you could take a used fuel-rod and throw it into some breeder to have energy. Not to speak of the old cladding. I mean, I'm not against it, but it's not that simple.
- opo 6y ago
  >...It's not like you could take a used fuel-rod and throw it into some breeder to have energy. Not to speak of the old cladding. I mean, I'm not against it, but it's not that simple. You are moving the goal posts. Your original comment was "...but we still have no long term solution for high-level nuclear waste disposal. At all. ...Unless we come up with a complete end-to-end model for safely handling the waste, I don't consider nuclear to be a viable option. As it stands, it's a massive liability to the health of our future environment." There is an end-to-end model for safely handling the waste. (For example, the IFR design would actually have reprocessed the fuel on-site.) Nuclear waste will not be a massive liability to our future environment. The amount waste is very manageable (the Netherlands actually stores their waste in an art museum) and in a relatively short amount of time we can use most of this "waste" to generate electricity.
  - LargoLasskhyfv 6y ago
    That is probably because I don't care about ball sports at all :)

by opo 6y ago

LargoLasskhyfv 6y ago

Sounds good in theory. But in reality the fuel rods need to be mechanically separated from their cladding, which is brittle, irradiated and whatnot else. Then chemical reprocessing of the fuel itself, and reassambly into whichever form is necessary. It's not like you could take a used fuel-rod and throw it into some breeder to have energy. Not to speak of the old cladding. I mean, I'm not against it, but it's not that simple.

opo 6y ago
>...It's not like you could take a used fuel-rod and throw it into some breeder to have energy. Not to speak of the old cladding. I mean, I'm not against it, but it's not that simple. You are moving the goal posts. Your original comment was "...but we still have no long term solution for high-level nuclear waste disposal. At all. ...Unless we come up with a complete end-to-end model for safely handling the waste, I don't consider nuclear to be a viable option. As it stands, it's a massive liability to the health of our future environment." There is an end-to-end model for safely handling the waste. (For example, the IFR design would actually have reprocessed the fuel on-site.) Nuclear waste will not be a massive liability to our future environment. The amount waste is very manageable (the Netherlands actually stores their waste in an art museum) and in a relatively short amount of time we can use most of this "waste" to generate electricity.
- LargoLasskhyfv 6y ago
  That is probably because I don't care about ball sports at all :)