Severe Nuclear Reactor Accidents Likely Every 10 to 20 Years - New Max Planck Institute Study

[caseymoz]

4. I think the scientists considered what you said.

I haven't read their analysis, but if they're scientists I suspect they might be way ahead of you on this. They're professionals, and I would read their analysis before judging that they must have made amateur mistakes that even Bill O'Reilly wouldn't make. They don't want to cut out an absolutely rich source of energy, unless you believe the conspiracy the Warming deniers would point to.

Also, they were talking about current reactors, not future designs, as I understand.

Now, I'd like to see new reactor designs too, but this gives me pause. Fission reactors are all going to have the same drawback of needing enriched isotopes of Plutonium or Uranium-235. They are all going to have the same problem that they are going to create waste that is both toxic and radioactive. The handling of these materials, before and after fission is necessarily going to be dangerous. Another draw back is they are going to be expensive, at every step-- to prevent accidents. Those toxic, radioactive isotopes will then be with us, forever. I'm thinking they were looking at possible accidents with those, and not just meltdown.

Lastly, if they shut down the current plants, that doesn't mean that experimentation with new designs won't go ahead. In fact, having the currently designed plants in service probably stands in the way of that.