Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard
There is even more concrete and steel, and copper, and electronics, and water - used in nuclear power plants. It takes a lot of energy to mine and refine, and enrich, and transport nuclear fuel.
It takes 10-20 YEARS to build a nuclear power plant. The spent nuclear fuel has to sit in pools of water for a decade or more - and the water has to be pumped, and then processed afterward; because it is contaminated and radioactive.
A lot of energy is used to decommission a nuclear power plant - and it will probably take another 10-20 years to do this. It will take a lot of energy and steel and concrete to build the dry casks - which last only 100 years. Rinse and repeat, for a very long time.
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Wind power uses no fuel. So, it has a much lower energy overhead, and the foundations can be reused.
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Nuclear waste sitting around for decades is a flaw of our stupid and useless government. It is not a flaw of the nuclear fuel cycle. The fuel demands for nuclear power plants can be predicted with about 99% certainty.
We know when they will need new fuel, to within a few months, precisely how much fuel they will need, what the waste is and it's what it's made up of.
The nuclear waste pools are far more dangerous than the reactor it's self.
If the clueless ignorant nuclear haters really had a clue they would be burning down Washington DC demanding nuclear fuel be recycled.
But no, they just want to be obstructionists and take a minor technical issue and turn it into a disaster looking for a time to happen.
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1984 chevy suburban, custom made 6.5L diesel turbocharged with a Garrett T76 and Holset HE351VE, 22:1 compression 13psi of intercooled boost.
1989 firebird mostly stock. Aside from the 6-speed manual trans, corvette gen 5 front brakes, 1LE drive shaft, 4th Gen disc brake fbody rear end.
2011 leaf SL, white, portable 240v CHAdeMO, trailer hitch, new batt as of 2014.
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