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Waste has never been a problem and especially isn't a problem with modern reactors. They're safer than coal burning plants. Their economies are much better than

Waste has never been a problem and especially isn't a problem with modern reactors. They're safer than coal burning plants. Their economies are much better than alternatives when you account for the cost of environment, life, and pollution for things like coal burning plants. I feel like I've had to debunk all of these points literally a dozen times on HN and I'm really tired of putting in the effort.

jacquesm 5y ago
Sure, pull the other one. You can't credibly debunk any of these because they've been a problem with every reactor built to date. You can pretend that they won't be a problem for any of the 'new and untried designs', however, I'm pretty sure that by the time that we build them and operate them for a couple of decades they'll turn out much the same as the previous lot, which were also supposed to be cheap, non-polluting, reliable and absolutely never subject to anything remotely like an accident. Why people keep falling for this is a mystery to me. Comparing with coal burning plants is nonsense, compare to wind/hydro/solar on a long enough timescale rather than to compare with the most polluting fossil fuel. That's stacking the deck in favor of nuclear. I'm sure nuclear has its place in this whole story, but let's not pretend that it is without problems, at best it will be a stepping stone.
- Nicksil 5y ago
  > but let's not pretend that it is without problems Nobody is doing that.
  - jacquesm 5y ago
    Oh, ok. I must be following different news sources than you do then. According to the most recent push for nuclear it is all a-ok, safe, clean, infinite supply and even 'green' for whatever that means. If there are problems they certainly aren't given much airtime, if any, and if there are alternatives they are much less well funded from a PR perspective, because nuclear is 'big business' and solar and wind much less so. All this is is a way to sway public opinion, nothing actually gets solved in the short term.
- paulintrognon 5y ago
  > Comparing with coal burning plants is nonsense, compare to wind/hydro/solar on a long enough timescale rather than to compare with the most polluting fossil fuel. Well Germany is replacimg part of nuclear energy with natural gas plants so it is a really important debate indeed.
  - jacquesm 5y ago
    The 'in between' phase will be a tricky one. But it won't change the final outcome much.

jacquesm 5y ago

Sure, pull the other one. You can't credibly debunk any of these because they've been a problem with every reactor built to date. You can pretend that they won't be a problem for any of the 'new and untried designs', however, I'm pretty sure that by the time that we build them and operate them for a couple of decades they'll turn out much the same as the previous lot, which were also supposed to be cheap, non-polluting, reliable and absolutely never subject to anything remotely like an accident. Why people keep falling for this is a mystery to me. Comparing with coal burning plants is nonsense, compare to wind/hydro/solar on a long enough timescale rather than to compare with the most polluting fossil fuel. That's stacking the deck in favor of nuclear. I'm sure nuclear has its place in this whole story, but let's not pretend that it is without problems, at best it will be a stepping stone.

Nicksil 5y ago
> but let's not pretend that it is without problems Nobody is doing that.
- jacquesm 5y ago
  Oh, ok. I must be following different news sources than you do then. According to the most recent push for nuclear it is all a-ok, safe, clean, infinite supply and even 'green' for whatever that means. If there are problems they certainly aren't given much airtime, if any, and if there are alternatives they are much less well funded from a PR perspective, because nuclear is 'big business' and solar and wind much less so. All this is is a way to sway public opinion, nothing actually gets solved in the short term.
paulintrognon 5y ago
> Comparing with coal burning plants is nonsense, compare to wind/hydro/solar on a long enough timescale rather than to compare with the most polluting fossil fuel. Well Germany is replacimg part of nuclear energy with natural gas plants so it is a really important debate indeed.
- jacquesm 5y ago
  The 'in between' phase will be a tricky one. But it won't change the final outcome much.