What the US could learn from China's nuclear power expansion

[Klaralven]

One of the world's great powers is making significant progress toward reaching carbon neutrality. It's not the US.

Like many countries, China has made a pledge to reach net zero emissions by 2060. Unlike many countries, it's actually doing something to get there. That's not a reference to its commitment to stop financing overseas coal plants, nor its steady expansion of wind and solar power. China's progress comes in the form of 150 new nuclear reactors, which it plans to construct over the next 15 years.

Just the mention of nuclear power is enough to make some wince. There's a powerful perception that these plants are unsafe and devastate the local environment. Yet nuclear power is clean, reliable and safe. Traumatic imagery of nuclear meltdowns like those at Chernobyl and Fukushima obscure the statistics: Coal kills about 350 times as many people per terrawatt produced as nuclear.

https://www.cnet.com/news/why-the-us-should-learn-from-chinas-nuclear-power-expansion/

[Cobalt Violet]

1. If we can store the waste at the Villages in Florida then okay.

They're not even addressing the nuclear colonialism accepts.

[EX500rider]

2. "They're not even addressing the nuclear colonialism accepts" ? What does that mean?

[pecosbob]

6. aspects?

[Poiuyt]

3. I know the modern nuclear facilities are a lot better than the ones built 40-50 years ago

I don't know which of the problems from the earlier ones are still factors, but they should be given consideration.

[Grins]

4. "Coal kills..350 times as many people per terrawatt produced as nuclear."

Someone calculates people killed per terrawatt? Really? And that makes it better…how?

[pecosbob]

5. Excuse me for pointing something out...everything the Chinese build collapses in a few years

Dams, highways, buildings...I'm serious. The New Silk Road has sinkholes. The pressure to cut corners is massive. I've seen bamboo used instead of rebar and even fake rebar that you can break apart in your hands.

[WarGamer]

7. Significant progress towards reaching Carbon neutrality?

That's like saying Jeffrey Dahmer was making significant progress toward Priesthood by eating only 1 person a month.

China is the worlds fastest growing producer of CO2 emissions.

They're building coal fired power plants as fast as the bulldozers can move... their CO2 emissions are fast approaching 30% of the ALL the WORLD's CO2 emissions.

Twice as much as the USA.