What if the world had embraced Nuclear power?

[Purple]

The world's first commercial Nuclear Power plant was in Calder Hall (in Sellafield) and was connected to the grid on October 17, 1956. It had two functions: produce power and produce Plutonium for civil and military purposes.

Over the years there have been two 7 Level incidents where radiation has been spread over a large area. Those are Chernobyl and Fukushima. There were 31 direct deaths from Chernobyl and none from Fukushima. It is estimated that there may be up to 13,000 cancer related deaths from both incidents.

Chernobyl was commissioned in the late 1960's and built in the early 1970's. Fukushima was designed in the early 1960's and built in the late 1960's.

There have been no accidents from any Nuclear Power Plant built in the last 40 years.

If the world had embraced Nuclear Power and had continued to develop and improve it in the way we have done with Aeroplanes, Cars and so many other things we engineer then we wouldn't have Climate Change and we wouldn't have the whole geo-politics of oil and energy. Russia would not hold Western Europe to ransom and the totalitarian Regimes in the Middle East would not have the finances to spread fundamentalism and undermine democracy.

The CND, people and love people in the 1960's and 1970's may have helped to make the world a much worse place and been a major cause of our current climate disaster. People driven by ideology remind me of the old saying that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

 

[Leo]

There have been no accidents from any Nuclear Power Plant built in the last 40 years.

Fear and misunderstanding means many thing nuclear is far more dangerous, but the reality is much different.

 

[JoeRoberts]

And add to that the lost years of advanced research into nuclear that has not happened because of negativity

 

[Purple]

And add to that the lost years of advanced research into nuclear that has not happened because of negativity

That's huge. If we were still using 1970's technology to build planes there'd be crashes every week. If we did the same for cars pollution would be many times worse, as would crashes and death rates from those crashes.

 

[arbitron]

I am 100% pro nuclear power but there is a risk of hindsight bias and outcome bias here.

The cold war played a significant part in all of this. It spanned the late 1940s to the late 1980s and cast a shadow into the 1990s as well. I think it is completely understandable that the public would find it difficult to separate the very real threat of nuclear war from the concept nuclear power.

I don't remember Chernobyl happening but I certainly recall years later meeting Chernobyl Children who were visiting Ireland. That sort of interaction left a powerful impression on many people. And every few years we hear of another "near miss" which brings all of this back into our minds.

Add to that the way nuclear energy is portrayed in science fiction and horror movies, it's no wonder people fear(ed) it.

 

[Purple]

The cold war played a significant part in all of this. It spanned the late 1940s to the late 1980s and cast a shadow into the 1990s as well. I think it is completely understandable that the public would find it difficult to separate the very real threat of nuclear war from the concept nuclear power.

I agree, but it is incumbent on all of us to strive to be rational and analytical in how we form opinions and draw conclusions.

I don't remember Chernobyl happening but I certainly recall years later meeting Chernobyl Children who were visiting Ireland. That sort of interaction left a powerful impression on many people. And every few years we hear of another "near miss" which brings all of this back into our minds.

I agree. 6,000 children developed Thyroid cancer as a result of Chernobyl and a considerable amount more developed other issues. Some were children exposed as babies, others were the children of the clean-up workers born around the time of the disaster. What is also clear is that there has been no increase in foetal or birth defects in children born after the disaster whose parents were not exposed to high doses radiation at the time of the disaster.
It is worth noting that 2000 children die every day due to air pollution. Air pollution is the second biggest cause of death globally, killing between 7 and 8 million people each year. Ambient air pollution (outside) kills about 60% of those people.

Add to that the way nuclear energy is portrayed in science fiction and horror movies, it's no wonder people fear(ed) it.

Since the first Nuclear Power plant opened in Sellafield in 1956 air pollution has killed between 150 and 200 million people (135 million since 1980). Nuclear Power has saved 1.8 million. Again, people should at least try to be rational.

 

[JoeRoberts]

don't remember Chernobyl happening but I certainly recall years later meeting Chernobyl Children who were visiting Ireland. That sort of interaction left a powerful impression on many people. And every few years we hear of another "near miss" which brings all of this back into our minds.

This was a poorly designed and run plant in the Soviet Union. It can't be used as an argument against a proper plant.