General Discussion

MineralMan

(150,999 posts)

32. Yah, OK, then.

Sun Nov 3, 2013, 11:08 AM

Nov 2013

That's what they were saying about fission power in the 1950s and 60s, too. Power so cheap there wouldn't be any reason for an electric bill. That's what they said.

I grew up just a few air miles from the first commercial nuclear power generation reactor. While I was still in high school, it failed and had a partial meltdown. Look it up. Google Santa Susana meltdown. That was 1959. We still built nuclear power plants. Now, we have Fukushima.

The future always looks bright, technologically, to those who are involved in the technology. The reality often doesn't end up being quite so bright, though.

Good luck with that fusion stuff. I'm 68 years old. I'll be dead before it goes online.

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Experts Say Nuclear Power May Be Our Only Hope [View all] FarCenter Nov 2013 OP

Something like a LFTR design? dairydog91 Nov 2013 #1

international Thorium Energy Conference, ThEC13, at CERN, in Geneva Switzerland, October 27 to 31 FarCenter Nov 2013 #2

A fukushima in every garage! Warren Stupidity Nov 2013 #3

I don't think that they are proposing obsolete and dangerous American designs. FarCenter Nov 2013 #4

Proliferation of nuclear power generation on the scale required Warren Stupidity Nov 2013 #6

Not using modern designs it won't. gcomeau Nov 2013 #9

The old designs were "safe" when they were deployed too. Warren Stupidity Nov 2013 #16

"...safer nuclear power..." 99Forever Nov 2013 #5

Nuke power can be designed to be safe, don't use materials that can be weapons grade or close uponit7771 Nov 2013 #7

Nuclear will always involve creating a mess mining for it, processing it, using it for fuel. Plus- KittyWampus Nov 2013 #12

The older way of processing materials for nukes will. Thorium is abundant uponit7771 Nov 2013 #15

Unless Thorium falls from the sky everywhere, it's a waste and messy. KittyWampus Nov 2013 #38

Nuclear Power Generation Is Not Safe. It Cannot Be Made to Be Safe. MineralMan Nov 2013 #8

You are incorrect. gcomeau Nov 2013 #10

We disagree, it seems. MineralMan Nov 2013 #11

Old nuke energy I agree, new nuke energy I disagree... Cars designed 40 years ago are less safe uponit7771 Nov 2013 #13

I disagree. One problem lies in the commercial nature of MineralMan Nov 2013 #14

Radiation during the generation of course is dangers but can be contained now vs before uponit7771 Nov 2013 #19

Any and all systems, both human and nature made, will fail eventually seveneyes Nov 2013 #20

That is true enough. Solar, hydro, and wind power MineralMan Nov 2013 #23

All courses of action to continue human civilization carry risk. FarCenter Nov 2013 #17

Indeed. Where we can see and measure the risks in advance, however, MineralMan Nov 2013 #22

The scientists in the OP opine that the risks of nuclear are less than climate change without it FarCenter Nov 2013 #24

Nuclear power kicks ass, we need more, and about 100 billion a year snooper2 Nov 2013 #29

Yah, OK, then. MineralMan Nov 2013 #32

Never a single blip in any of these articles IDemo Nov 2013 #18

Even if the 3 billion in developed nations back off, there are another 4 to 6 billion using more FarCenter Nov 2013 #21

I wasn't speaking of petroleum resources, at least not exclusively IDemo Nov 2013 #27

Add to that the minerals and material that would go into alternative energy FarCenter Nov 2013 #40

Then we need to rethink how much power we need and change our lifestyles BECAUSE: Tikki Nov 2013 #25

I tend to agree. k&r n/t Laelth Nov 2013 #26

if one wants to sustain current levels of electrical usage - solar and wind would not be enough Douglas Carpenter Nov 2013 #28

Or "electrical" usage? IDemo Nov 2013 #30

that was the spell checker fucking with me Douglas Carpenter Nov 2013 #31

If the human race really put a Manhattan Project scale effort into renewables daleo Nov 2013 #33

Up fast enough? RobertEarl Nov 2013 #34

Then we are truly fucked. nt mother earth Nov 2013 #35

Fuck that. We could scale up in 2 years if it weren't for capitalists/capitalism preventing it Zorra Nov 2013 #36

Nuclear power IS our only hope if we want civilization to continue as it now exists... hunter Nov 2013 #37

We just have to change our mode of thinking RobertEarl Nov 2013 #41

How much electricity would we generate... roamer65 Nov 2013 #39

Fukushima laughs at this. WinkyDink Nov 2013 #42