The argument against Nuclear Power 1
There are many arguments against the use of nuclear reactors to generate electrical power. A few of the major objections are listed below.
The argument for Nulcear Power 1
The debate over the benefits of nuclear power versus the problems of nuclear power has raged for decades. Some of the basic pros and concerns with them are listed below.
Sources of Energy
The human race has an insatiable appetite for energy. Since harnessing fire many thousands of years ago, humanity has developed new ways to power civilization. Fortunes have been made, wars have been fought and great harm has been done to the environment in the quest for energy.
Problems at San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station
Southern California Edison (SCE) owns and operates the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station one the Pacific Coast between Los Angeles and San Diego. The station is located next to the Cristianitos fault which is listed as inactive. Around 7.4 million people live within 50 miles of the plant.
Unranium and DNA 1
The adverse effects of ionizing radiation on human health have been extensively studied. I have included information about what damage radiation can do in human bodies in other posts. Recent research indicates that there may be more biological damage caused by uranium than previous thought.
Hanford 4 - New Problem 2
In a recent post, Hanford 3 – New Problems, I talked about a lump of radioactive waste that had been found between the inner and outer shells of tank AY-102. There have been many DOE funded studies of the contents of that tank. Here are some of the findings.
Nuclear Reactor 13 - Water Problems
Nuclear reactors require a huge continuous flow of water for cooling. There are a number of problems connected to this.
New tank leak at Hanford?
The Hanford nuclear facility contains fifty three million gallons of high-level radioactive and chemical waste. These wastes were generated when corrosive chemicals were used to dissolve spent fuel rods to retrieve plutonium. Steel tanks in concrete pits are used to hold the waste.
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number of 28. It is a slivery-white transition metal. Nickel was used as early as 3500 BC as part of a nickel-iron alloy found in meteorites. Nickel was first purified and identified by Axel Fredrik Crosntedt in 1751. It was named for Nickel, a mischievous creature in German Miner mythology.
Krypton
Krypton is a chemical element with symbol Kr and atomic number 36. Krypton is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. It was discovered by the Scottish chemist Sir William Ramsey in 1898. He discovered a series of noble gases by examining the residue left over from evaporating liquefied air.