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The article you quoted also states an estimate of ~1600 deaths from the evacutation alone, and widespread rise of depression, anxiety and stress disorders among

The article you quoted also states an estimate of ~1600 deaths from the evacutation alone, and widespread rise of depression, anxiety and stress disorders among the affected population (also suicides). Also note that death per GWh on hydroelectricity are complete BS. This is easy to get wrong, but these are typically dominated by deaths from floods and dam failures (which would've happened regardless of hydroelectric use, and the dams would've been required for flood control without having turbines installed, too). I think environmentalists do have a strong point here: If a country like Japan (known for stability and diligence) can not be trusted to be able to prevent meltdowns (flooding was a known risk after all), how could you ever suggest them as primary power source in countries where regulation and monitoring would be a corrupt shitshow, like Italy, Spain, Africa etc?

throwaway2037 2y ago
You raise some interesting points. As I understand, the Three Gorges dam has two goals: 1) control flooding and 2) produce power. If anything, it might be said that Three Gorges has negative death rate associated with it, because it has prevented so many devastating floods. Italy/Spain is so corrupt/incompetent to run nuclear power plants? Also, sarcastically, Africa is not a country, but 50 countries with a wide variety of development.
- myrmidon 2y ago
  > Italy/Spain is so corrupt/incompetent to run nuclear power plants? Yes absolutely. Japan has a much more respectable culture regarding safety/diligence, and basically every italian citizen will agree on that. If Japan had to evacuate one of ~50 reactor sites within a lifetime, then it seems ill-avised for an italian citizen to let current government (which is pretty likely to flip-flop across the political spectrum at basically double the rate of normal elections in the first place) start building a reactor in the backyard. Note that actual numbers reflect this: Last Italian referendum about nuclear power was 94% (!!) against (admittedly shortly after Fukushima). > Also, sarcastically, Africa is not a country, but 50 countries with a wide variety of development. I know, my statement is about all of them. Operating nuclear plants requires long-term (centuries, not decades) trust in safety culture, regulators and operating companies. Which african nation would you suggest as a paragon for nuclearization? Egypt? South Africa? (note: this is a trick suggestion; electrical power management in South Africa is the most embarassing, corrupt shitshow you could ever imagine in a somewhat industrialized state).

throwaway2037 2y ago

You raise some interesting points. As I understand, the Three Gorges dam has two goals: 1) control flooding and 2) produce power. If anything, it might be said that Three Gorges has negative death rate associated with it, because it has prevented so many devastating floods. Italy/Spain is so corrupt/incompetent to run nuclear power plants? Also, sarcastically, Africa is not a country, but 50 countries with a wide variety of development.

myrmidon 2y ago
> Italy/Spain is so corrupt/incompetent to run nuclear power plants? Yes absolutely. Japan has a much more respectable culture regarding safety/diligence, and basically every italian citizen will agree on that. If Japan had to evacuate one of ~50 reactor sites within a lifetime, then it seems ill-avised for an italian citizen to let current government (which is pretty likely to flip-flop across the political spectrum at basically double the rate of normal elections in the first place) start building a reactor in the backyard. Note that actual numbers reflect this: Last Italian referendum about nuclear power was 94% (!!) against (admittedly shortly after Fukushima). > Also, sarcastically, Africa is not a country, but 50 countries with a wide variety of development. I know, my statement is about all of them. Operating nuclear plants requires long-term (centuries, not decades) trust in safety culture, regulators and operating companies. Which african nation would you suggest as a paragon for nuclearization? Egypt? South Africa? (note: this is a trick suggestion; electrical power management in South Africa is the most embarassing, corrupt shitshow you could ever imagine in a somewhat industrialized state).