Why is everyone so against nuclear power?

Not long ago, I was talking to a Japanese energy policymaker, and he told me that the nation really had no choice but to restart some of its nuclear power plants even after the massive Fukushima disaster. He said that economically Japan could not afford to keep the lights off or the factory floors idle, not with an aging population and the need to keep trade and the economy going. Okay, all of that makes sense, but after the Fukushima disaster, many in Japan are saying that they are against nuclear power. Actually, but let’s talk about all of this, shall we?

You see, there are a lot of people here in the United States who are also against nuclear power, I’m just not one of them because my grandfather was a nuclear physicist at SLAC. Also, I think there are new technologies in the future that will allow us to use nuclear fuel up to 95%, which means that we will not have a lot of unused spent fuel for long-term storage. Why not bring in this next generation of nuclear power, and why not create small cargo container-sized reactors to power small towns or generate electricity for battery power?

It seems that all the car manufacturers are trying to create electric cars, and I am not so sure I am convinced of the idea of ​​the electric car or the use of batteries because too much energy is lost in the transition, however if we are going to do this, And with the arrival of new battery technologies and those that may hit the market in the next decade, perhaps we should think here. It seems that we have too many protesters who are against nuclear energy, and we are not the only ones. This is happening all over the world now.

Still, even China realizes that they cannot continue to pollute themselves into oblivion with coal plants. They are also looking back on nuclear power even after deciding to stop the giant megaproject they had already programmed. They have no other choice, if they can’t find a different way to generate electricity, they won’t have enough and people will be able to breathe. Some of that pollution from its coal plants is now seen on the west coast of the United States. It’s too much pollution, even for the planet, not to mention the global warming scare.

There is an interesting research report that I think you should read titled; “MIT 2003 – The Future of Nuclear Power,” which was originally commissioned in 2003 but later updated, is also a good thing, because Obama’s appointment as DOE director Ernie Moniz was involved in its preparation. The report notes;

“The major challenges examined were (1) cost, (2) safety, (3) waste management, and (4) proliferation risk. Additionally, the report examined technology opportunities and needs and offered recommendations for research. , development and demonstration. “

Now if we look at these smaller reactors, they seem to be dealing with elements one, two, and three. The risk of proliferation is significantly reduced if these nuclear reactors use up 95% of the fuel, there simply is not enough left to be such a big problem. Perhaps it is time to reconsider nuclear power and leave these policies and science to the scientists, and not to the radical rioters and conspiracy protesters pushed by the media against anything nuclear. Consider all of this and think about it.