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From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.followup,net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: Lockport Blast: safety of oil vs nuclear power
Message-ID: <4146@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 27-Jul-84 17:19:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: utzoo.4146
Posted: Fri Jul 27 17:19:11 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Jul-84 17:19:11 EDT
References: <338@tellab1.UUCP> <1588@druxv.UUCP>, <651@teltone.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
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> Nuclear power is (usually) just slower about its destructive work
> than the fossil fuels.  Nuclear waste will leach into the environment
> for the next quarter million years.

Most nuclear waste, with the plutonium removed (if for no other reason than
it being too valuable to throw away) is no more radioactive than natural
uranium ore within a few centuries.  There are impossibly huge amounts of
natural uranium ore in the Earth's crust already; if stuff at that level
of activity is dangerous, we've had it.  Also, please note that the wastes
associated with some other means of power generation, such as coal, are
dangerous chemical poisons -- they have no halflife and will be around
*forever*.

> As for "The Health Hazards of Not Going Nuclear", I haven't read it.

You should.  It's very interesting, particularly when Petr Beckmann
(the author) starts comparing the statements of the anti-nuclear folks
with the facts.  There is no doubt that many of the anti-nuclear people
are sincere, but some of them aren't, and there are some outrageous lies
masquerading as facts.

> But I'll bet nuclear is put against large coal and oil plants instead
> of the real winners, decentralized solar, biogas, and natural gas.

Nuclear is put against everything in Beckmann's comparisons.  All forms
of power, bar none, have health hazards.  (Including decentralized solar.
After car accidents, the biggest cause of accidental death in North
America is accidental falls.  Solar systems will often be on rooftops.)
Industrial accidents occur in all forms of industry, hence in all forms
of power generation.  Nuclear generally wins simply because it is so
concentrated -- there is less volume of hazardous material, hence less
handling and less opportunity for accident and injury.

> Read "Soft Energy Paths" and other works by Amory Lovins for further
> info.

But check his claims before taking them as facts.  Some are not.
-- 
				"We almost lost Lockport!"
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry