# UK has 100 tonnes of Plutonium **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 21, 2007, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976 "2007-09-21T12:40:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/1 "2007-09-21T12:40:58Z")
According to reports we have stockpiled enough Plutonium to manufacture 17,000 nuclear bombs, that’s right Seventeen fucking thousand!! So why and for what, are we planning on taking over the world or are we just doolally :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/2 "2007-09-21T12:49:49Z")
I think it would behoove the United States to make friends with our British cousins. Marc ---
**Author:** ![Tibidabo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@Tibidabo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibidabo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/3 "2007-09-21T12:53:53Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] According to reports we have stockpiled enough Plutonium to manufacture 17,000 nuclear bombs, that’s right Seventeen fucking thousand!! So why and for what, are we planning on taking over the world or are we just doolally :dubious: [/QUOTE] Doolally?! :eek: Why don’t ya store it on your East coast for a little while, eh? ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/4 "2007-09-21T12:53:55Z")
The worrying thing about this is: Where is it stored and is it safely and constantly under armed guard cuz we don’t want any dipshits getting ideas do we? Doolally=Stoopid 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/5 "2007-09-21T13:00:09Z")
Mostly it’s a by-product of the civil nuclear power programme and in any sane world it would be being used to produce greenhouse-gas-free power in a new generation of power stations. Instead it sits there as a tempting target to any enthusiastic terrorist. We can’t even get rid of it as nobody will make the decision to build an underground repository. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/6 "2007-09-21T13:07:27Z")
Generally “doolally” means mad or eccentric rather than stupid. From the transit camp in Indian where British soldiers waited for a boat home and, in some case, went of their heads from boredom 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/7 "2007-09-21T13:12:04Z")
[QUOTE=MarcusF] Generally “doolally” means mad or eccentric rather than stupid. From the transit camp in Indian where British soldiers waited for a boat home and, in some case, went of their heads from boredom 😃 [/QUOTE] More or less as I said, not a full shilling ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/8 "2007-09-21T13:32:07Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] The worrying thing about this is: Where is it stored and is it safely and constantly under armed guard cuz we don’t want any dipshits getting ideas do we? Doolally=Stoopid 😃 [/QUOTE] [The Civil Nuclear Constabulary](http://www.cnc.police.uk/)… they’re routinely armed and they’re hiring. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/9 "2007-09-21T14:01:56Z")
Because if we have it, it means someone else doesn’t? ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/10 "2007-09-21T14:07:55Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] [The Civil Nuclear Constabulary](http://www.cnc.police.uk/)… they’re routinely armed and they’re hiring. [/QUOTE] Look its just a hobby for chrissakes !some people collect stamps , some people collect autographs ,we collect Plutonium . You dont get people giving Philal,Philatele,Phili,fucking stamp collectors a hard time do you? ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/11 "2007-09-21T14:26:17Z")
[QUOTE=Revenant Threshold] Because if we have it, it means someone else doesn’t? [/QUOTE] Excellent point. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/12 "2007-09-21T14:46:16Z")
[QUOTE=Revenant Threshold] Because if we have it, it means someone else doesn’t? [/QUOTE] Not until they nick it that is. Oh and those philil, phital, fuckin’ stamp collectors really get on my tit, fannying about withose poncy frigging albums ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/13 "2007-09-21T14:53:43Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] Not until they nick it that is. [/QUOTE] Psst… wanna buy a spent fuel rod? Cheap, like…it errr fell off the back of a lorry. It’ll keep your house cosy this winter, I know how you OAPs worry 'bout that. I tell you what, seeing as it’s you, it’s yours for a pony. Do we have a deal, squire? ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/14 "2007-09-21T15:00:24Z")
Sorry old chap but I do not deal with London crooks. Manchester crooks, yes ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/15 "2007-09-21T15:04:15Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] Sorry old chap but I do not deal with London crooks. Manchester crooks, yes [/QUOTE] Your loss, gov. Besides, I’ve already got another buyer interested. Nice guy, Armadine-something-or-other. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/16 "2007-09-21T15:08:30Z")
I recently worked on a site where a _lot_ of the stuff was still stored. Armed police, dogs, the lot. I worked in the most radioactive building there, too. (Because it was made of granite.) ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/17 "2007-09-21T15:09:36Z")
'ere, 'ang on a sec, couldn’t you flog it to Ferguson? One half of Manchester would gladly pay whatever it costs to mail it to the red nosed twat **jjimm** your nom de plume isn’t Homer Simpson is it? ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/18 "2007-09-21T15:29:35Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] 'ere, 'ang on a sec, couldn’t you flog it to Ferguson? [/QUOTE] Last weekend I kicked the shit out of him at Euston station on your orders, now you want me to post him radiological material? Gah, I lose one bet and I’m on the hook for life… bloody Mancunian gangsters. ---
**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:** [September 21, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/19 "2007-09-21T16:19:22Z")
So, leaving all this wonderful Brit slang aside, whats the debate here? Is it that the UK shouldn’t be reprocessing (recycling) its nuclear material? What exactly should they do with it? If thats not the debate, what exactly should they do with the weapons grade material that is the result of that? Should they wave a magic wand and make the nasty stuff go away? Give up on nuclear power generation? Give it away so that they don’t rile up the locals about all that nookular nasty-ness? -XT ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976/20 "2007-09-21T17:44:12Z")
To answer your question \*\* xtism\*\* all I can say is…I have no sodding idea what we should do with it, I doubt anyone else has either. I was just making the point that there is so much of the stuff (Plutonium) that in my opinion it invites some nutjob shitheads who fancy their chances at stealing it, the results of which, should they suceed, would be catastrophic. Now then **Szlater** if that was really you who kicked the shit out of red hooter then you have the thanks and admiration of the blue half of Manchester. Any time you visit ooop norf you are guaranteed free beer by a grateful throng [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-has-100-tonnes-of-plutonium/419976.md?page=2)