# Still support nuke power plants? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 14, 2011, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647 "2011-03-14T11:56:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 24
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/461 "2011-03-19T07:23:24Z")
From my cite: > [@](#): > > The storage pool at the No. 4 reactor also remains a concern, Graham Andrew, special assistant to the IAEA director, told reporters Friday. So, it remains a concern (which I acknowledged). > [@](#): > > The level 5 rating applies to the plant’s No. 2 and No. 3 reactors. The Japanese nuclear agency assigned a rating of 3 to the problems with the used storage pool at the No. 4 reactor. So, the level 5 rating (i.e. the danger rating on par with TMI) is for reactors 2 and 3. reactor 4 has a level 3 rating at this time. A level 3 rating would be 100 times less dangerous than a level 5…so, that seems to indicate that while everything isn’t beer and skittles quite yet, they are more worried about reactors 2 and 3 than reactor 4…at this time. Things could obviously change. > [@](#): > > Tokyo Electric Power Co. reported Friday that “we have confirmed that the water level of the pool is secured.” Now, you may not trust them (many in this thread don’t, and not all of their skepticism is stuff, fluff and nuffin…there are valid reasons not to take everything from these people completely for granted), but they are saying the water levels in the pool ‘is secure’…and that jibes with other stuff I was reading saying that they were successful in getting the fire hoses into position and get the water on target to fill it up. Like I said, you can believe what you like, 'luci. There is a lot of information out there, and a lot of it is conflicting. When experts are brought in, what I look for is are they actually over there in Japan working the issues. For some, they might be over there, but they might not be directly involved (and so getting information 2nd or 3rd hand). Or they might be back here in the states and know someone over there who is trying to pry some time loose to give them a brief or some info. -XT ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/462 "2011-03-19T07:44:20Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > …and that jibes with other stuff I was reading saying that they were successful in getting the fire hoses into position and get the water on target to fill it up… Well, that’s fine then! Serve it up! I found the cites that straight-up contradict you in about one minute flat. Outside of “stuff I was reading”, what are you offering? How hard can it be, if yours is the facts of the matter? You were sure enough about your facts to rub my nose in them, now you can’t find them? ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Beecher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hank_beecher/32/7275_2.png) [@Hank\_Beecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Beecher)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/463 "2011-03-19T14:24:07Z")
So Cesium-137 has a half life of 30 years, Strontium-90 about 12. What is the half life of mercury? ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/464 "2011-03-19T15:05:37Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > What a weird conclusion. the reactors used in Japan are all over the world. We have 25 of them in America. That does not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling. I’m not talking “warm and fuzzy feeling”. I’m saying that Fukushima Daiichi was hit by a 9 magnitude quake and a 10m tsunami, and [we’re pretty far from a Chernobyl situation](http://bravenewclimate.com/2011/03/20/fukushima-sat-19-march/). That’s pretty reassuring to me. OTOH, the reactors in St. Petersburg (the original St. Petersburg in Russia, that is) and Kola _are_ scaring the shit out of me. They’re constructed the same way as Chernobyl was. And the combination of anti-nuke hysterics ans bean-counting CEOs does pretty good to _prevent_ building new, safe reactors to replace those time-bombs. If this were the Pit, I could probably tell you what I think about that. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/465 "2011-03-19T15:23:43Z")
[QUOTE=xtisme] Well, that’s fine then! Serve it up! I found the cites that straight-up contradict you in about one minute flat. Outside of “stuff I was reading”, what are you offering? How hard can it be, if yours is the facts of the matter? You were sure enough about your facts to rub my nose in them, now you can’t find them? [/QUOTE] I provided you a cite from CNN that at least partially backs up what I was saying. If you didn’t bother reading even the parts I quoted, well, that’s not my lookout. If you want a cite specifically about the use of fire hoses to pump sea water into the damaged reactors (though to me this is like asking me to cite that water is wet, considering the fact that I’ve probably read about it from a dozen sources), [here](http://www.istockanalyst.com/business/news/4979781/engineers-work-to-stem-radiation-leaks) is a cite that mentions it: > [@](#): > > The IAEA said the plant’s No. 1, 2 and 3 reactors appeared to be “relatively stable,” although their cores have been damaged. Sea water was being injected into all three using fire hoses. It’s an older cite from Friday, but it was the first of, oh 21,000 results on Google from typing in ‘filling reactors in Japan using fire hoses’… -XT ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/466 "2011-03-19T15:58:49Z")
> [@Hank\_Beecher](#): > > So Cesium-137 has a half life of 30 years, Strontium-90 about 12. What is the half life of mercury? Most of the radioactive isotopes of mercury have half lives of less than half a day. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/467 "2011-03-19T16:07:48Z")
> [@Hank\_Beecher](#): > > So Cesium-137 has a half life of 30 years, Strontium-90 about 12. What is the half life of mercury? 32 degrees? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/468 "2011-03-19T16:27:24Z")
> [@Norse](#): > > OTOH, the reactors in St. Petersburg (the original St. Petersburg in Russia, that is) and Kola _are_ scaring the shit out of me. Why? According to nukies, nuke plants are safer than cars. ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Beecher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hank_beecher/32/7275_2.png) [@Hank\_Beecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Beecher)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/469 "2011-03-19T16:33:04Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > Most of the radioactive isotopes of mercury have half lives of less than half a day. Does mercury need to be radioactive to make you mad as a hatter? Nope. The everyday kind that is constantly spit out of the moon bats’ coal plants will do the trick. ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Beecher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hank_beecher/32/7275_2.png) [@Hank\_Beecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Beecher)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/470 "2011-03-19T16:34:28Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Why? According to nukies, nuke plants are safer than cars. How could you even try to pretend that they are not? ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Beecher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hank_beecher/32/7275_2.png) [@Hank\_Beecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Beecher)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/471 "2011-03-19T16:42:21Z")
How many people in this thread know of someone killed by a nuclear plant? How about in an auto accident? Lightning strike? Goat flu? I have known people who died in car wrecks. I saw a squirrel killed by lighting from less than 100’, that was close enough for me. No goat flu or nuke deaths in my circle though, despite living a county away from a nuke plant and getting much of my electricity from it. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/472 "2011-03-19T16:47:46Z")
> [@Hank\_Beecher](#): > > Does mercury need to be radioactive to make you mad as a hatter? Nope. The everyday kind that is constantly spit out of the moon bats’ coal plants will do the trick. Mercury is so safe that [put it in light bulbs.](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7431198) > [@](#): > > But the bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, a neurotoxin, and the companies and federal government haven’t come up with effective ways to get Americans to recycle them. > [@](#): > > General Electric has been making compact fluorescents for 20 years. Now the company admits that the little bit of mercury in each bulbs could become a real problem if sales balloon as expected. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/473 "2011-03-19T16:49:44Z")
I don’t know anyone killed by smallpox, influenza, measles, the black death or any other infectious diseases. Most people in fact that did die, did so from cancer. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/474 "2011-03-19T16:52:46Z")
> [@Norse](#): > > I’m not talking “warm and fuzzy feeling”. I’m saying that Fukushima Daiichi was hit by a 9 magnitude quake and a 10m tsunami, and [we’re pretty far from a Chernobyl situation](http://bravenewclimate.com/2011/03/20/fukushima-sat-19-march/). That’s pretty reassuring to me. > > OTOH, the reactors in St. Petersburg (the original St. Petersburg in Russia, that is) and Kola _are_ scaring the shit out of me. They’re constructed the same way as Chernobyl was. And the combination of anti-nuke hysterics ans bean-counting CEOs does pretty good to _prevent_ building new, safe reactors to replace those time-bombs. If this were the Pit, I could probably tell you what I think about that. We built plants smack on the San Andreas fault. That I suppose is fine for you? [Hermosa Beach News, Breaking News in Hermosa Beach, CA](http://hermosabeach.patch.com/articles/are-californias-nuclear-power-plants-built-to-withstand-earthquakes) for an example. ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Beecher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hank_beecher/32/7275_2.png) [@Hank\_Beecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Beecher)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/475 "2011-03-19T16:53:50Z")
> [@FXMastermind](#): > > I don’t know anyone killed by smallpox, influenza, measles, the black death or any other infectious diseases. Due to your local storm and waste water facilities, as well as whatever power generation scheme keeps them them running nearly 100% of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Beecher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hank_beecher/32/7275_2.png) [@Hank\_Beecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Beecher)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/476 "2011-03-19T16:56:46Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > We built plants smack on the San Andreas fault. That I suppose is fine for you? We build vacation homes _right on the coast_, which is where 100% of tsunamis come ashore. I suppose that is fine with you? Not to mention amphibious sharks. ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/477 "2011-03-19T16:59:52Z")
Why do the pro nukers always try to talk about other things? Instead of nuclear power, and the dangers, risks and costs associated with it? Why is that? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/478 "2011-03-19T17:02:26Z")
> [@Hank\_Beecher](#): > > We build vacation homes _right on the coast_, which is where 100% of tsunamis come ashore. I suppose that is fine with you? Not to mention amphibious sharks. We have these things called tsunami warnings. When they go off, people run. Geneticists and nuclear scientists are teaming together to create a nuclear power plant that will get up and run for its life in the event of a tsumani warning. Nuclear enthusiasts are thrilled. “Finally, a sensible approach to energy!”, one was quoted as saying. ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Beecher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hank_beecher/32/7275_2.png) [@Hank\_Beecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Beecher)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/479 "2011-03-19T17:06:18Z")
> [@FXMastermind](#): > > Why do the pro nukers always try to talk about other things? Instead of nuclear power, and the dangers, risks and costs associated with it? > > Why is that? Because there is risk in doing anything, or in doing nothing. So showing that nuke plants are dangerous is just saying something everyone knows. To make a case for shutting them down you would have to describe some realistic alternative that would make life better and safer, which your side never does. ---
**Author:** ![Nadir](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nadir/32/7302_2.png) [@Nadir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadir)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647/480 "2011-03-19T17:09:27Z")
Nukies vs. the Moonbats. Alrighty, then… You know the only real problem is the waste storage, right? And the only real problem with that is the NIMBY’s right? :smack: Oh, I forgot to mention in conclusion: It’s all bout the moonbat’s irrational fear. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647.md?page=23) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-support-nuke-power-plants/574647.md?page=25)