From Deseret News archives:
Noel is wrong about nuclear energy's safety
Noel cites that "nuclear energy is clean and it is safe." Neither is true. While nuclear power production does not emit greenhouse gases during its generation, it produces tons of toxic waste, for which there is still no acceptable storage or detoxification solution. Further, unlike coal, which is readily usable after being mined, uranium must be processed through several steps milling, conversion to uranium hexafluoride, enrichment and fuel rod assembly before it can be used in a reactor. All of these steps consume energy produced by conventional sources that do emit greenhouse gases.
It's certainly true that safety violations and accidents may happen with any kind of power production. However, nuclear power is unique in that accidents at other sources usually do not pose an immediate catastrophic risk to the lives of hundreds of thousands of people living near to or downwind or downstream from the vicinity. Building nuclear power plants does nothing to reduce our need for oil in either the short or long term. Nuclear plants do not fuel automobiles, the single greatest user of oil. Building nuclear power plants will do little to mitigate global warming, as the emissions from overall electricity production make up a tiny percentage of greenhouse gas emissions. Most of these emissions come from automobile exhaust and domestic power use. Nor is nuclear power a quick or expedient technology. Nuclear power plants take, on average, 10 years to plan, license and build, and billions of dollars. We do not have this kind of time or capital.
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