Nuclear Power (spun off from Japan earthquake discussion)

[randolph]

Originally Posted by Tread

They prepared for quakes and tsunamis, but thought they can predict nature similar to this statement:



The San Andreas Fault is partly under water, and there are many smaller faults that can become a bigger one.

The Unknown is what is not expected. Who would have expected 10 years ago that a passenger plane hits the Pentagon?
What if a Meteorite like the one in Tunguska hits a nuclear plant? I know it?s very unlikely, but the outcome and especially the long term effects are absolutely unpredictable. Whole countries could be uninhabitable for 100,000?s of years.



But they don?t do it. And no one can predict the weather or volcanic activity. Can you guarantee that in these ?safe? places is always enough water in the rivers to cool the fuel rods or is anyone prepared to transport the rods in a harmless way to a ?secured? place?



Does humanity have a single convincing idea what to do with nuclear waste? And who pays for it?

There is no doubt in my mind that humanity would be much better off today if nuclear bombs and energy had never been invented. It just adds to all the other human woes we have to contend with.