The Triumph of Coal Marketing - Nuclear, Oil and Coal

Environment • March 2011 • Views: 1,722

Do you have an opinion about nuclear power? About the relative safety of one form of power over another? How did you come to this opinion?

Here are the stats, and here’s the image. A non-exaggerated but simple version of his data:

Death rate per watts produced.

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6 comments

RogueOne Sun, Mar 27, 2011 6:54:18am

If nuclear is now a non-starter and we can't use oil or coal what serious alternatives do we have?

aagcobb Sun, Mar 27, 2011 7:03:12am

re: #1 RogueOne

Solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal.

Gus Sun, Mar 27, 2011 7:03:25am

re: #1 RogueOne

If nuclear is now a non-starter and we can't use oil or coal what serious alternatives do we have?

Hysteria! Seriously though, don't ask me. Clearly the leading cause of deaths (which everyone seems to be concerned about in light of recent events in Fukushima) is coal -- namely from Chinese plants. At the same time we still can't downplay the events that are continuing to unfold in Fukushima.

However, long term trends -- of existing energy sources -- still point at coal and oil being far worse for human health than nuclear power generation at this point in time. It reminds me a bit of how people react towards airline accidents without thinking about automobile accidents and the daily carnage that causes.

RogueOne Sun, Mar 27, 2011 7:17:43am

re: #2 aagcobb

I don't think solar/wind are very serious options and I can't imagine the environmental fight trying to build a dam. Is geothermal a real option?

Dark_Falcon Sun, Mar 27, 2011 8:23:14am

re: #4 RogueOne

I don't think solar/wind are very serious options and I can't imagine the environmental fight trying to build a dam. Is geothermal a real option?

Hydroelectric is real option, we'd just have to change the law to limit objectors ability to obstruct construction. Geothermal is location specific, like Hydro. Wind can have some limited utility, but where I live solar is indeed not a serious alternative. Have to find ways to cleaner coal, that's it for now. Until the anti-nuclear hysteria settles down, which won't be for 10-20 years now.

General Nimrod Bodfish Sun, Mar 27, 2011 9:45:29am

There is no one "magic bullet" that will get us off of fossil fuels, it's going to take a combination of nuclear, wind, solar, geothermal, hydro, etc. We can put several solar power plants in the southwest to help power some of the big cities, hydroelectric plants on the coasts/on big rivers, geothermal is good for some of the smaller establishments like apartments for heating/cooling, and wind plants on the Great Plains, with nuclear power filling in the voids in the others.

Obviously, coal and other fossil fuel power plants are very nasty towards the environment so if we do need to use them, use as few of them as possible and do everything possible to severely reduce their emissions; but the best thing to do with them is to get rid of them. Not only would we improve the health of everyone but also take a step towards reducing our impact on climate change.

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